The Bargain
by kiltsaresexy
Summary: ::Sequel to Unbound:: With tension rising in Aurora, Lilyana and Reaver travel to the vast desert to confront the man claiming to be a Hero-King to his people. He demands that Aurora be freed from foreign rule, but he says he will only negotiate with Lilyana. Will Lilyana be able to resolve this peacefully, or will Reaver have to step in to protect his bride-to-be? Read and Review!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hope you enjoy this sequel! If you haven't read the first story in this series, I suggest you go back and read Unbound! Your follows, favorites and reviews mean so much to me so please take a moment to leave feedback!**

-Prologue-

Reaver's eyes found her immediately. She was the one. He had come across her years ago, but she hadn't reached her full potential for beauty yet. She had certainly filled out, her hips so alluring, her breasts swollen and ripe. He checked on his prospects often, and when the time was right, he gave them their compensation, and he took them away. He seemed to remember that this one had always given herself eagerly to him every time he came to see her. Her name escaped him, but that detail wasn't important.

When she saw him, her sky-colored eyes lit up. She tucked her mass of brownish-red curls behind her ear, and she left the table she was serving. Her hips swayed ever-so-seductively as she walked toward him. Her lips parted, and a sweet pink flush rose all over her ivory skin.

"You came back," She said, her breathy voice full of excitement.

"That I did, my dear," He purred, pushing her hair from her face. "What do you say we find somewhere a little more private to catch up, love?"

Her eyes smoldered, and she nodded slowly. "Let me just talk to my boss."

"Go on, my beauty," He said. "I will wait."

She scampered off, her round backside keeping his attention. When she returned, she had grabbed her coat, and she was absolutely beaming.

He held his arm out, and she eagerly took it.

"Luna!" yelled the bartender. "You'd better be on time, tomorrow!"

Ah, yes. _Luna_. That was her name.

They entered her little hovel. It was tiny, unfurnished, and frankly very underwhelming.

"Nathaniel?" called Luna, her eyes searching. "Are you home?"

There was no answer.

"Don't come out, love! I'm busy!" She added, just in case.

"Husband?" Reaver asked, chuckling softly to himself as he pushed her thick curls away from her face.

Her eyes widened, and she blushed. "My little brother. I take care of him."

"How generous of you," He purred, pulling her close.

A soft moan escaped her at his mere touch, and she tilted her head back, giving him access to her, graceful white neck.

He leaned in, going through the motions of thoroughly seducing her. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy doing this, but he had done it so many times with so many people, that after a while, it became habit, almost mechanical. He buried his face in her neck, noting the squeals of delight that she made when he treated her roughly.

"My beautiful Luna," Reaver breathed against her flesh, his hands drifting across her body. It was barely contained by her dress. Her luscious curves spilled out temptingly at every possible outlet. "I couldn't wait to come back to see you."

"I've been waiting for you." It was a desperate revelation. Her eyes were hot with passion and love. "I always wait for you."

"And I'm glad," He said. He claimed her mouth, tasting the vigorous youth that he knew would soon be his.

* * *

He trailed his fingers down her naked breast, and she sighed softly.

"Luna, my darling," He said, almost breathless. "There is something else I require of you."

"I would do anything for you, my love," She said, sitting up, her face turning very serious all of the sudden.

"I love to hear you say that," He said, pressing a small kiss against her collarbone.

"What do you need, Reaver?" She begged to know. Her eyes were wide, innocent, full of love and life.

"Do you think that I'm beautiful?" He asked.

"More beautiful than anything." She touched his lovely face to emphasize her point.

"It's such a shame that people age and die, isn't it?" He poked his lower lip out.

She nodded, eager to please.

"If there was a way for me to remain as I am, would you help me?" He kissed her neck tenderly, climbing back between her legs.

"Oh, yes," She breathed in.

"Then you won't be opposed to coming with me tomorrow," He said as he pressed inside of her once more.

Her eyes rolled, and she nodded quickly. "Yes. Anywhere."

"Good." He grinned before leaning down to overtake her with a searing kiss.

* * *

She exited the Shadow Court, white-haired and withered, but she still smiled, proud that she had given everything she had for the man she loved. Her eyes were empty and white, but she made her way to Reaver.

"Oh, Luna," He said, taking the old woman into his arms. "You have done so much for me, my dearest one." He kissed her forehead.

"Anything for you, Reaver," She grinned, looking far-off.

"You must be ever-so tired, dear," He said. He lifted her from her feet, and he carried her out of Wraithmarsh and to the waiting carriage. "I will return to you, pet. Of that, I promise. You will have gold enough to buy anything you desire."

"I don't want gold, Reaver," She told him, smiling. "I just want to see you again."

He smirked. "Of course, love. Anything for someone who has given so much for me." He stroked her wrinkled, sagging face. He closed the door to the carriage, and he signaled for the driver to take her away. He blew her a kiss, and when she was out of sight, the smile left his face.

He reached into his pocket, and he pulled a small-hand mirror out, and he inspected himself. Her eyes had been striking on her, but even more-so on him. He would have to find another blue-eyed beauty so that he could enjoy the color longer. He stowed the mirror, and he took off in the direction of the nearest Tavern. He needed a drink, but he also needed to keep his eye out for anyone that would make a suitable future candidate.


	2. Aurora

-Chapter One-

I never liked boats, and after my last trip to Aurora, I had even more reason to dislike them. I had heaved my guts out the entire journey with Walter and Ben, and this time was no different. I only hoped that my boat didn't get blown out of the water. We were approaching Aurora faster than Walter, Ben and I had, coming in at just under two days of sailing, but I still hadn't "gotten my sea legs" as Reaver called it.

I straightened from my bent position overboard, and I looked up to Reaver. His skin was kissed by the sun, and it made him even more irresistible. I undoubtedly was pasty and sweaty, but he still looked at me with admiration.

He stroked my hair gently, and he laughed, handing me the handkerchief from his pocket.

"What?" I wiped at the corners of my mouth.

"I've never seen someone be so violently ill with such grace," He said.

I felt another wave of nausea hit me, so I leaned over the rail, just to be safe.

"Come now, Lilyana," Reaver said rubbing my back as I hung over the edge of the ship. "It's not that bad. One simply must get used to it."

"That is very cheap advice from an ex-pirate," I groaned, shooting him an angry glare. "You slept all day yesterday, after convincing me that love-making was a good remedy for sea-sickness."

"Well, my love, _I_ certainly felt better afterwards," His laughter was rich and merry.

"And today you're teasing me. The sailors are probably just as amused as you are, too." I hissed under my breath. "Maybe I should just dive over and swim the rest of the way."  
He laughed. "You're the only person on board that isn't used to sailing." His fingers massaged between my shoulders. "And we're nearly there, so don't throw yourself overboard yet."

I looked up. I did see Aurora in the distance. Oh, how my feet craved to touch land. I straightened, and I felt Reaver grab me by the waist, supporting my swaying frame. I leaned against him, drawing in a deep breath of the warm breeze that pushed us toward the port of Aurora.

* * *

As we disembarked, we were greeted by Kalin and her entourage of guards. She limped softly, leaning on a walking stick, but she opened her arms to me, greeting me with a warm hug.

"Thank you for coming so swiftly, Your Majesty," She said, her soft voice full of relief. "And I see...you brought Mister Reaver." She seemed a little reluctant to greet him as warmly.

Reaver bowed graciously before her.

"Reaver and I are engaged to be married, and he has come to ensure my safety," I explained, backing from Kalin.

"I am happy to see such devotion from someone so..." She blinked, trying to think of a word. "...sporadic in his interests."

I offered her a smile, and I felt Reaver take my arm once more. "Kalin, please, tell me of the situation here in Aurora. I've heard some troubling news."

"Ah, yes," She said, nodding. "We must speak of this in private, for I do not know whose eyes are watching."

We made our way to the carriage awaiting us, and the three of us climbed in.

I was sweating already, and I knew at once that I would have to purchase some local clothing. I sat straight, still trying to stave off my nausea. The heat wasn't being very forgiving in that respect. The carriage ride was bumpy, and I used all of my focus to keep from vomiting.

"Excuse her, My Lady," Reaver said to Kalin. "She did not have a very smooth journey."

Kalin laughed softly. "I understand, Your Majesty."

I nodded easily, and Reaver took my hand, squeezing it gently.

When we reached my small estate in Aurora, I saw that water was ready for us, and a bath had been drawn for me. Clothes had been purchased, and everything was in its place. I was thankful to be able to sink down in to the lukewarm bath and wash the journey off of me.

Reaver sat on a stool beside the bathtub, having stripped down to just his loose, white shirt, and his dark pants. He looked more like how I would have imagined he looked in his swashbuckling days. He dipped his hand in the water to caress my now-peaceful stomach. "Are you feeling much better?"  
"Much," I said, settling back in the water. My hair was clean and piled on top of my head in a messy, wet bun. I just wanted to soak in the water a little longer.

"Good."

There was silence for a moment, and I took the opportunity to look at him, long and hard. He was staring out the window, at the sunset on the horizon. He was scruffier than I'd ever seen him, a fine speckling of stubble lining his jaw, and his hair let loose in an unruly mess of chestnut waves. He was awe-inspiring.

"If you stay in there all evening, you'll get all wrinkled...and you'll miss our meeting with Kalin," He said. He had invited himself to the meeting, and Kalin accepted, understanding that Reaver was now my partner, and that he would be involved in the affairs to be dealt with.

I allowed him to help me to my feet, and he wrapped a plush towel around my dripping body. I stepped out of the tub, and he pulled me against him.

"I do love when a woman is all wet," He told me, running a thumb across my thick lower lip, his eyes taking me in. "But...we will be late if we don't get you dressed."

I nodded, and I put my hand on the side of his face, stroking his stubble. "I like this. It makes me want to be ravished by The Pirate King."

"Oh, and ravished you will be, but not right now," he chuckled.

I pouted.

"If you didn't have me, you'd never get anything done, Lilyana," He tutted.

"If I didn't have you, I wouldn't be so distracted."

"_Touche._"

Reaver and I moved into the bedroom, and I removed the towel to dry my hair with it. My body already mostly dry, save for stray drips from my hair. When I was satisfied with how my hair dried, I looked at the dress spread across the bed for me. It was a deep, beautiful burnt orange, and it was thin and flowy when I picked it up to inspect it further. "No underclothes?"I glanced to see a small scrap of cloth intended to cover my rear. "Except for this?"

He shook his head. "Aurorans are spectacular in that way."

I fastened the small-clothes onto my hips, and Reaver held the dress for me to step into. He spun me around to tie the straps around my neck, and place a kiss down the deep-v opening that trailed nearly to my backside. I was grateful that my hair was so long. I strode over to look at myself in the mirror, and I saw Reaver's eyes fixed on me, almost dreamily.

As I moved I noticed the brazen jiggle of my breasts, and I decided that was what fascinated him. I ran my fingers through my waving hair, and I gathered the front of it, pulling it out of my face, and securing it with a small piece of ribbon that had held my hair in its braid earlier.

"You look...ravishable," Reaver said, straightening and shifting from one leg to the other. "We should hurry to Kalin's before I carry you off to a secluded cove to have my way with you."

"You say that as if it were something we wanted to avoid." I stepped forward, letting my hand trail down to his belt.

"You have been paying far too much attention to my seduction strategy," He said, his voice husky. He put his hand over mine.

I let go of him, and I turned to head toward the door. "Come, _my croquette_," I said in my most Reaver-like voice. "We must be off to see to some business."

"I think the heat and sea-sickness has driven you mad," He laughed, hurrying to catch up with me.

* * *

Kalin motioned for us to sit down at the table, and Reaver pulled my seat out for me while I moved around to take it. He took the seat beside me, and I looked expectantly to Kalin.

"A man named Teroh claiming to be a Hero-King has risen in the eastern part of the desert," Kalin said solemnly. "He does, indeed possess the powers of one of Heroic lineage." Her eyes glanced down to her leg.

"What did he do to you, Kalin?" I asked.

She shook her head, "That is not important, Your Majesty. What is important is that he is stopped or reasoned with. I don't care which, as long as there is peace and no more people die."

"People have died?" I furrowed my brow.

"I assume they have, for they have not returned from patrols," She sighed. "The only reason he let me return was because of my connection to you, Your Majesty."

"Then we will set off tomorrow morning to find him," I said. "If he wishes to speak with me, he will."

"But Your Majesty, he is very strong," She protested. "He may be stronger than you."

"That is why I am here," Reaver injected himself into the conversation.

"Excuse me, Mister Reaver, but unless the blood of a hero..."

"It does," I interrupted her, leaving it at that.

Her eyes brightened. "Then there may be hope, but hopefully it does not come to fighting."

"Has he expressed any desire to negotiate?" I asked.

"He has said that if he were to negotiate, it would only be with The King of Albion," She told me.

"And yet I am a Queen," I said.

"He does not believe that women are capable of ruling, Your Majesty," She said. "That is why I fear that he may act violently. I now see that it is a very good thing that Mister Reaver will be accompanying you. He may only listen to a man."

Reaver snorted with laughter. "We will see, won't we, Lily?"

I sighed, nodding.

"Your Majesty, if I may ask..." She tilted her head.

"Yes?"

"When you go, will you please see if a man named Bo-an still lives among Teroh's people," She wrung her hands together nervously. "He went with me, but they did not allow him to return with me."

"I will," I assured her with a nod.

"The journey will take a few days on foot," She told me. "I can arrange for a royal litter, if you wish it. Not many women can ride the journey on horseback."

"I can ride it," I assured her.

"Then I will arrange for horses and supplies to be prepared for your departure," Kalin confirmed.

The servants filed in with plates of hot food in their hands, and they served us. I remembered how wonderful the food had been the last time I was in Aurora, and I was eager to put something in my stomach. I took a bite first, and Reaver and Kalin followed suit. The food was spicy and savory, not like food in Albion, which was mostly salty and fatty.

"When is the blessed event to take place?" Kalin inquired, her eyebrows raising a smile spreading across her face.

"We haven't set a date," I said. "But when we do, you will be among the first to know."

"It honors me to have such dutiful friends," she replied with a nod.

"If Her Majesty is anything, it's dutiful," Reaver said.

"I agree, Mister Reaver. She helped Aurora when it would have been easier not to." She waved her hand gracefully. "Everything I have here is because of her. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your supreme kindness and loyalty to your word."

I smiled, nodding. "It was my honor to help my allies in their time of need."

* * *

Reaver could barely keep his hands off of me in the carriage ride back to the estate. He skimmed his hand all over me, the thin fabric of my dress barely a barrier between us. His mouth trailed across my bare shoulder as he pulled me against him.

"You must bring this dress, and anything else like it, back home," he insisted. "Everything is just so...accessible." He pulled the skirt up to my knees, and he rubbed me through the moistening small-clothes I was wearing.

I closed my eyes, tilting my head backward, and he took that to his full advantage—kissing and scraping his teeth against my jumping pulse. I sighed softly, not wanting to attract any attention from the man driving the carriage.

The carriage came to a halt, and Reaver basically jumped out of the door before I had a chance to shift. He pulled me down tight against him, seemingly seeking any excuse to touch me. He set me down on the ground, and he grasped my hands.

The servants opened the front doors for us as Reaver led me inside, but they remained outside, granting us privacy throughout the small-cottage-like estate. I was nearly dragged up the stairs to the bedroom, but I smiled at Reaver's enthusiasm. It was like the sea had invigorated him. Or maybe it was the dress I wore.

He skimmed his fingers against the soft, fine material before pushing my hair out of the way to untie the knot keeping the front of the dress up over my breasts. He pulled the material off of me, and he lifted me to carry me over to the bed, depositing me with a hefty toss and a playful leer. His own clothes were disposed of quickly, and he slid up beside me on the bed, taking each of my breasts into his mouth briefly and caressing my thighs with agile fingers.

His mouth laid burning kisses across my neck, and he parted my legs quickly, tugging the underthings off of me, possibly ripping them. His body suddenly went stiff, and he exhaled. He drew his mouth away from my neck. "I just realized that we failed to bring protection, love."

I sighed, and I glanced up to him. "Does that mean you want to stop?"

He shook his head. "I don't _want_ to stop, but..."

"But what?" I asked. "Are we not to be married?"

"Yes, but..."

"Does it not feel as good without one?" I asked, honestly not knowing. In my experience, a condom had always been used to avoid any royal babies being brought into the world out of wedlock.

He merely grinned at this, and he dipped his head back down to kiss me once more, his body taking a more slow, steady rhythm, now. "I suppose just this once won't hurt, love." He moved to position himself between my legs.

As he buried himself inside of me, I felt a noticeable difference in the sensation. My breath left my lungs, and I moaned his name gently.

He groaned, gathering up my legs in his arms and pushing deeper. Our sounds of pleasure rang out in unison, and he sighed. "It has been a long time since I've done this."

"What? Since condoms were invented?" I asked, a smile dancing across my lips.

"Yes, actually," he told me, his voice breathy and utterly sexy. "Since they got popular."

I didn't know what I expected, putting that joke out there, but I was glad that he'd been practicing caution for all these years. Though, they couldn't be one-hundred percent effective, as Nathaniel was locked in a secret cell beneath Bowerstone Castle. I tore my mind away from the effectiveness of birth control to revel in the sensation of making love without it.

He kissed me as deeply as he could, his hips working tirelessly to drive me down into the bed. His mouth parted from mine, drifting down to devour my neck, the stubble on his face scraping and teasing my sensitive skin.

I wrapped my legs around his hips, desperately craving to be as close as possible. The feel of his naked thickness within me was one that I could easily get used to. As he worked my body closer to the edge, he started whispering in my ear.

"You have no idea how absolutely exquisite you feel," He breathed, grinding himself roughly against me, hitting all of my most sensitive places.

I caught his lips with mine, effectively muffling my building moans. My fingers dug gently into his skin, and as my hips lifted off of the mattress, my whole body was engulfed in the sweet fire of release. I pulled from his mouth to cry out, instead, burying my face against his shoulder.

I collapsed against the bed, but he quickly pulled my hips back up, to keep driving himself into me relentlessly.

"I'm not going to let you go that easily," He growled, his his teeth scraping against the jumping pulse at my throat. "Not when I'm so close already." He sounded almost winded with passion.

I adjusted myself to wrap against him once more, and I cupped his face. My body was growing hot and trembling once again. I squeezed him tightly, moaning his name, seeking release once more.

His hips trembled, and he moved to withdraw, but I locked myself around him, squeezing him between my thighs. He hissed with pleasure, and he grasped me by the chin, pressing a forceful, passionate kiss against my lips. Our bodies exploded in unison, both of us moaning. My body moved in a frenzy, but his hips moved in deep, long strokes, slowing as he spilled himself inside of me,

We lay tangled together, his head dropped to rest on my breast.

"I was not expecting to be spent quite so quickly," he admitted, his hands drifting to massage my thighs, which were still tightly wrapped around him.

I let my legs fall down onto the bed, and he separated from me, rolling onto his back beside me.

As we lay spent on the bed, I found myself, once again, sweaty and breathless, though luckily this was from our raucous love-making and not sea-sickness. I closed my eyes, and I heard Reaver stirring.

"Quickly or not..I don't mind," I assured him, only now able to speak. I turned on my side to see that Reaver smoking a cigarette with his eyes closed.

He inhaled, the ember glowing bright orange in the dark, and he pulled the thing from his lips to exhale. "Did you know that I love you?"

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Simply to tell you how I feel," he said innocently. "Is that a crime?"

"You're not the type to simply do anything," I laughed.

"Oh, you caught me," he said. I could see his white teeth flash, even in the darkened room."I was going to ask if you truly wanted to go see this Teroh."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked.

"Because he sounds like a dangerous person to anger," He said, putting his cigarette up to his mouth once more. "And it doesn't sound like he appreciates women very much."

"Are you scared he might hurt me?" I asked.

He gave me a look that said it all. Yes. He was scared. "You're a hero, but you are still very much vulnerable. What if his skill is greater than both of ours combined?"

I had never seen him like this. Not even when Nathaniel was attacking me. Then, he had just looked angry. Now, he was scared, vulnerable, hesitant—not words one usually would use to describe Reaver.

"Running into a fight is different with you around," He sighed. "I don't want to be so worried about you that I make a mistake."

"Then don't worry about me," I said, giving him a blunt, simple answer. "I am a grown woman, and I am accountable for my actions. If I fall in battle, I fall in battle. When I die of old age, I die. Nothing is going to stop that. It wouldn't be your fault"

He closed his eyes, stubbing his cigarette out on a saucer. He said nothing, but he exhaled loudly. He kissed the side of my face, and he finally spoke. "Goodnight." The words were sharp and final, ending an argument before it started.

I turned on my side, facing away from him, and he moved to wrap himself around me. I glanced back to him. His eyes were open, watching me. I looked back to the window, the stars shining brightly. I pressed my lips tightly together, and I closed my eyes, sleep taking me away quickly.

**A/N: Lemons in the first chapter?! Of course! Well, I hope you enjoyed reading. As always, leave me a review. It keeps me motivated! ;D**


	3. A Hero King

-Chapter Two-

The sun glared down on top of us, scorching and unforgiving. After hours of riding in this heat, the litter that Kalin had suggested sounded very tempting. I wiped my brow. I had never been the dainty-type to require a parasol in the sun, but this was required. Even under my clothes, my skin had started to redden and blister within mere hours of our ride. I looked to the soldiers that rode in front of us. They looked rather used to the heat, having been stationed in Aurora for some time now.

Reaver rode alongside me, looking totally unphased. His skin was not pink and irritated, like mine, but it was darkening to a delectable shade of tan that made him look more rakish than ever. If I weren't so sunburned, I would have suggested a nice tumble in camp. As it was, I didn't think I would be able to stand being touched.

I sighed, and I saw that Reaver was giving me that smirk of his. "What?" My voice had an irritated edge to it.

"You've turned such a lovely shade of pink, my love," He said, the amusement apparent in his eyes. "I never would have guessed that it would suit you so."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was interrupted.

"Your Majesty," said Major Kent, coming to a halt before me. "We are nearly half-way to the location indicated by Lady Kalin. This would be a suitable place to set up camp. The desert is known to be unforgiving after sundown." He offered me a curt nod. The major was a very handsome man, perhaps fifteen years older than I was. He had dark, straw-colored hair with streaks of some grey, but his eyes were a light, captivating blue. They held mine steadily and boldly.

"Yes, Major Kent. This is a good place for camp," I said, pulling my gaze from his, chalking the burning in my face to sunburn.

"You heard her, men!" He yelled, throwing his hand up to signal the other six guards that accompanied us. "Set up camp!"

I lay on my stomach in the tent, my back far too burned to even consider rolling over. The night had grown cold, but it was a welcome temperature change.

Reaver lay on his back beside me, looking terribly bored. He had already cleaned the pair of Dragonstompers and the rifle that he'd brought, and he had even resorted to reading one of the books I had brought. He turned onto his side, and he looked me over. "You're going to peel," The words were laced with slight disdain. He poked at my scarlet shoulder blade.

I winced, and I slapped his hand away. "Don't you know some sort of pirate trick to help with this sunburn?"

"Would you fall for the whole 'love-making will surely cure it' trick more than once?" He questioned, scooting closer.

I gave him a silent glare.

"Well in that case, I believe Kalin sent something along for such an occasion," Reaver said, rising to dig through a bag. He inspected the jar, opening it and giving it a small, experimetal sniff. His lip curled, but it was obviously what he had been looking for. He settled back down beside me on the bedroll, and setting the jar down.

Pushing any stray hairs off of my back, he deposited a generous glob of the ointment onto the middle of my back.

I inhaled sharply at the painful, yet cooling sensation. I buried my face against my forearm.

He delicately spread the concoction across my tender back, and he sighed. "I spoil you. Anyone else would have been applying this abhorrent-smelling paste themselves."

I laughed softly. "You spoil _me_? I seem to remember someone getting a new, shining rifle for this journey."

"But I thanked you thoroughly for it, did I not?" He said, but he added. "Also, I recall a certain rather-large, and might I add expensive, engagement ring being simply _left _in a jewelry box in Albion."

"Would you rather I lose it in the sea? The desert?"

"The point of the thing is to wear it, is it not?" He asked. "I could easily replace a lost bauble. Turn over."

"It's too special to me to lose," I explained, cautiously shifted so that he could apply the foul-smelling stuff to my face and upper-chest. He lingered a little longer on the chest, but when he was finished, he motioned for me to lay back down. He lifted my hair to apply more to my neck, rubbing and massaging and melting the heat away to replace it with a different heat.

He smiled. "Well, I'm glad it means something to you." After finishing with the ointment, he patted my rear, possibly the only part of the back of me that wasn't sunburned. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head gently and lay back once more.

I realized that my sunburn would be completely healed probably within hours, but with Reaver doting on me, I couldn't help but play it up. I scooted closer to him, and I threw an arm across him.

He simply smiled. "What do you want, my dear?"  
"I-"

A shriek tore through the quiet of the night, and Reaver and I were on our feet in an instant. I pulled the top of my dress up to cover myself, and Reaver was tossing me my sword as he grabbed the pair of Dragonstompers.

"Sand furies!" yelled Major Kent. "Loads of 'em! Have at 'em, lads!"  
The sounds of battle quickly rang through the air, and I hurried out, barefooted, but armed into the desert.

There were probably a dozen of them. I had never seen so many of them in one place. Three of our seven soldiers had already fallen in battle, though I didn't know if they were injured or worse. Anger rose in my stomach, and I threw an arm out, focusing Will in the form a fireball. It collided with a cluster of four or five of them, and their animal-like cries filled my ears.

Reaver was picking them off using only one pistol at a time. He used precisely placed shots to take them down, careful not to waste his bullets.

I felt a dagger cut into my forearm, and I spun, slashing at my assailant. It stumbled backward, gripping its slashed gut, but it dropped to the ground, dead. I turned around to see that the remaining sand furies, about seven of them, were retreating, screeching and yelping.

Reaver hurried to me, inspecting me. "Are you hurt?" He found the generous, bleeding gash on my forearm.

"It's just a scratch," I assured him, bringing the injury close to my body.

"I've never seen them so organized," Reaver stated, almost astounded. "It took me a long time to wrangle the ones I had."

Major Kent hurried over to us, "Your Majesty, are you injured?"

"Nothing serious. How are your men?"  
"We lost one, and three others are injured," He sighed, rubbing his stubbly chin. "They need first aid that we are not prepared to provide. They will most likely die before tomorrow is up."

I sighed. "Send the rest of your men back to Aurora."

"Your Majesty..." He protested.

"They need help," I said. "Give what aid you can, then send the injured, along with the uninjured back to Aurora."

"And what of me, My Queen?" he asked. "It is my sworn duty to do what will protect you. Leaving you alone in the desert will not protect you."

"You will come with Reaver and me," I told him. "And we will continue toward Teroh's village."

Kent looked hesitant, but he nodded. "Yes. I understand. I will prepare my men."

Reaver tied the bandage around my forearm, though it was hardly necessary. The fighting had activated my healing effects. The cut was already knitting back together, and my sunburn was gone, turned into a light bronze tan on my skin. It made my scars look even more prominent and very tough-looking.

"You know," He started. "Those were scouts."

"Yes," I said with a nod. "Teroh knows that we are coming."

"We do not have enough men, love," Reaver said, squeezing my hand. "We need to return to Aurora and gather a larger-"

"I want this to be a peaceful visit, Reaver," I told him.

"He sent those sand furies, and they _killed_ one of your men," He argued. "I daresay the time for peace has passed."

"Sand furies are difficult to keep rein over, correct?" I asked.

"Yes, but-"  
"Perhaps Teroh sent them to scout, and they got a lot more violent than he intended," I said.

"Then why send so many?"

I sighed. "I will enter his camp peacefully, and I will hope that we leave in the same fashion."

"You are so infuriating," Reaver growled, releasing me and tearing off to the other side of the tent. "We could gather the army and crush them, darling, and we could return to Albion."

I sighed. "If there is a chance for peace, I will pursue it."

He shook his head, and he left the tent, swiftly and angrily.

I sat down on the bed roll, and I leaned back onto the pillows. I didn't know what to expect from Teroh, but I had to hope that I could convince him to settle our difference peacefully. If we couldn't I always had the option of using the Sanctuary as an escape, but I would have to be very focused to transport both Reaver and Kent.

I turned onto my side, and I pressed my lips together.

* * *

The next morning, I woke to find an empty place beside me. I sat up. Had Reaver been so upset about my insistence of peaceful negotiation, that he did not return? I dressed for the day of riding ahead, and I started to pack up the tent. By the time I was finished, I heard Kent calling for me outside.

"Your Majesty? Are you awake?" He asked softly.

I exited the tent, and I offered him a smile. "Awake and nearly ready to go." My eyes drifted around, and I saw Reaver finishing disassembling and packing the larger tent. He glanced over to me, but deliberately looked away, still looking a little sour.

"You should probably have something to eat before we set off, My Queen," Kent suggested.

The bread was filling, but I didn't want much of anything else. I drained my water, and I saw that we were nearly ready to leave. I brushed myself off, and I walked over to Reaver, who was finishing preparing my horse.

"Yes?" He asked as I approached, his tone rather short.

"Why are you this upset?" I asked, taking his hand.

He glared to me, and he turned away. "Because you are so intent on putting yourself in danger, without any regard for anyone else's feelings on the matter."

"I thought we had established that I am a capable woman," I said.

He rolled his eyes, and he motioned for me to get onto my horse.

* * *

We approached Teroh's village. It hadn't been what I expected at all. It was large and organized, but there were children and families spread everywhere. I was glad that I had stuck to my convictions about not wanting to crush this place with military force.

A few armed men approached, and one of them surveyed us before going back to the large, central hut. Perhaps rousing the guard,

"Off your horses," said the tallest of the men. "Please." He had small dark eyes that he wouldn't bring to meet with mine, and he held his bald head proudly. Was this Teroh? I had expected him to be a little more intimidating. He was impressively muscled, but he didn't look battle worn enough to be respected in a culture that obviously based rank on skill in battle. Then again, this man might be good enough to avoid such scarring and wear. I gulped at the prospect.

We unmounted, and both Reaver and Kent stuck tightly to my sides.

"Sir, I-"

"The King approaches," said the smaller man, leaving the hut he'd gone in before.

A large, muscle of a man stepped out from the central hut. He made the other people of is village look like gnomes in comparison. He was roughly my age, if not a little older, and his body was covered in scars and a few tattoos. He had startling green eyes that peeked out from beneath a prominent, arched brow, and his dark hair was formed into a mass of long dreadlocks down his back. His face looked chiseled from stone, but I couldn't tell much of his jaw, as it was obscured by an impressive dark beard. His face was set in an intimidating scowl.

My gut twisted with a strange desire. "Oh my," I said softly with a gulp.

"Oh my, indeed," agreed Reaver, undoubtedly for the same reason.

As he closed in, I noticed the Will-focusing gauntlets. I wondered if he had also been contacted by Theresa in the past. I would have to inquire of it. He came to a stop a few feet in front of us, and his eyes turned to Kent.

"Are you the King of Albion?" he asked, a thick accent I had never heard before clinging to the words.

Kent shook his head, straightening. "Albion has no king. We have a Queen."

Teroh's eyes flickered to me, and they narrowed. "A woman is not fit to rule a kingdom so vast."

I straightened, and I said, "I have proven myself to the people of my kingdom. My name is Lilyana."

"And how did you win your kingdom, woman?" He asked, arching one of his thick, dark brows. "By trickery and seduction?"

"I fought for it," I said. "Just as my father before me had."

He reached out to me, and Kent and Reaver both reached for their weapons. He pushed my hair from my face, surveying the scars running along my jaw. He inspected me with an acute scrutiny, and his hand moved to draw the collar of my shirt aside, inspecting the gashes across my collarbone.

I could hear the hammer on Reaver's pistol draw back, though it was not obvious he was pointing it.

Teroh stepped back, a short snort of a laugh escaping him. "A _woman_ scarred in battle? I would have thought it impossible for one to survive such wounds."

I removed my gloves to show him the Will gauntlets I wore beneath. "I believe we've had similar training."

He looked very puzzled, now. "That is an impossible thing."

"I would like to negotiate a term of peace with you, Teroh," I said. "I do not wish for our people to fight each other."

"What people?" he asked, glancing around. "I see only three."

My heart pounded in my chest.

"One does not simply talk to The Hero King," a soldier piped in. "One must earn the right to negotiate with him."

"I am speaking with him now," I replied.

The man's face turned sour. "Ignorant woman, you-"

Teroh put his hand up. 'My man speaks the truth, but I do not fight women."

"Then I will fight in her stead," said Kent, stepping forward.

I turned to look at him. "No."

Reaver started, "Lily, we need-"  
"You will fight me," I proposed. "If you refuse, I will take that as your surrender, and you will stop attacking my people in Aurora."

Teroh crossed his arms over his chest, and he shook his head. "That is not acceptable."

"Then what terms would be acceptable?" I asked.

"I fight that man," He said, nodding to Kent.

Reaver looked almost offended that he was passed up in the choosing of opponents.

"Your Majesty, I will gladly fight for you," Kent said.

"Those terms are unacceptable to me," I replied. "You fight me, or you fight no one."

"Lilyana," Reaver hissed, grasping my hand.

I tore my arm from him, and I stepped forward.

Teroh's eyes were wild with confusion, but he also looked intrigued. "I have never seen a woman so eager to be beaten."

I smirked.

"No Will," He stated. "No guns."

"Agreed," I said with a nod.

"And your men will turn in their weapons before our fight," he added.

"Yes," I said.

Reaver looked absolutely livid as Teroh's men came forward to disarm him. "Allow me to take this as my opportunity to thoroughly object to this whole situation."

"It is done," Teroh said, turning. "Bring her to the ring, and we will test what a woman can do."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave me your thoughts in a review, and follow/favorite my story if you enjoy it! And thanks to the awesome angelacm for being my beta reader and putting up with all of my typos and unfinished thoughts!**


	4. Duel of Kings

-Chapter Three-

I removed my coat, tossing it into a corner of the small hut that Teroh had designated for me to use to ready myself. I pulled my hair back, spinning it into a messy bun and fastening it quickly. I bent to adjust myself in my clothes. It was a dress. The only thing that I had with me that was suited for fighting swiftly, as I knew I would need to. It was much like what I used to wear as a young girl training with Walter only with short sleeves and a scooping neckline, showing off the scars that Teroh had been inspecting so thoroughly earlier.

I exited the tent, and I glanced around. A crowd had formed around the battle ring, a clearing off to the east of the village. There were seats for the people of the village. I guessed this was a form of entertainment for them. Children and women sat at one side of the small, outdoor arena, and the men sat on the other. I had never seen a culture that segregated men and women so definitely. My task felt all that much heavier.

Reaver stood off, away from me, his face set in a fierce expression. He had been stripped of his coat, weapons, and had been inspected for anything hidden, just as Kent had been.

I walked to him, and I took his hand. "I am not doing this to anger you."

He said nothing, and he turned his seething face away.

"I can not be the leader I need to be if I cannot be respected," I tried to explain.

Still nothing.

"If you want to look at it in a positive light, if I should fall, you won't have to worry about my safety any longer," I said shortly before turning to walk back to Kent, who was taking my sword from its sheath.

I looked back to Reaver over my shoulder, and our eyes met. His were vividly conveying a message of 'How dare you'. And I shot back the same message. How dare he doubt me? How dare he treat me like this for doing my duty, no matter how dangerous. I wasn't going to be less of who I was simply because Reaver opposed it.

The people marveled at the shining, intricate blade, sounds of awe escaping them. When I grabbed it, I swung it with a flourish, getting my arm used to it again. It had been a while since I'd had reason to really use it. Sparring alone was a lot different than fighting another person.

I turned to see that Teroh was unsheathing his own blade. It was large. Very large. If aimed appropriately and with enough force, I was sure that it would cleave me clean in half, but with size also came sluggishness. I knew this, but did he? Would he compensate?

"The first to fall to the ground, dead or alive, is the loser," announced a small round man.

"Come, little woman," Teroh said running his finger against the sharp edge of the blade. Blood dripped in dark red droplets down the shining steel, and he offered me a smug look. "I will enjoy making you _submit_."

If Reaver hadn't been in such a foul mood, I would imagine that he would have chipped in some sort of innuendo, but he just stood there, his fists balled so tightly that his knuckles were white. His face was nervous and angry and nauseous all at once.

I stepped into the ring, my legs trembling a little with the adrenaline pumping through me. I drew in a deep, cleansing breath, and I moved so that the sun was at my back.

Teroh started to circle me, his massive blade held upright by thick, muscular arms. He lunged, swinging heavily at me.

I leaned back quickly, almost hitting the ground, but I caught myself with one arm. The blade avoided cutting the tip of my nose by less than an inch. My heart jumped in my throat, and I leaped back to my feet.

He brought the blade down in a sharp, heavy arc, aiming for the top of my head.

I threw my sword up, and I used my strength to deflect the attack. I almost felt like I had been hammered into the ground, but I managed to stay upright.

People gasped.

I forced him backward, and I straightened once more. A fierce cry of battle left me as I charged him. He moved to deflect me, but I dropped to my knees, skidding across the gravel of the circle. My knees were undoubtedly scraped up, but I didn't mind. I jumped up, and I managed to strike him, my blade cutting his arm very shallowly.

The crowd grew silent, and Teroh spun around to strike at me angrily.

I blocked him once more, but he was pure strength. My feet skidded beneath me, and he managed to push me back a full foot before he broke off, circling me once more. I lifted my chin and when he swung again, I ducked, and I sent an elbow into his ribs.

He ignored the minor blow, and he swung quickly. The sword fell from my hands. He smiled a fierce grin to reveal straight white teeth. I retreated backwards, never taking my eyes from him. He advanced again, this time striking low.

I jumped over the blade, and as he moved to straighten, I put my foot down on the sword. It clattered to the ground, and I kicked it away.

He looked almost stunned, but he straightened, and I suddenly knew that the fight was not yet over. He raised his fists, as if signaling me to do the same. I followed his lead, and loosened my shoulders.

He threw a punch and it connected with my jaw. The pain was acute, but I stayed on my feet, blinking the spots away from my vision.

I returned his punch with one of my own to his gut, and his face gave away how stunned he was at my strength. He coughed for a moment before throwing another fist. I ducked out of his way, and I brought my knee up to connect in his stomach, striking in the same place.

He staggered back, and he shook his head.

His fist collided with my mouth, and I felt my lip split, blood spilling down my chin.

I merely wiped the blood away, spitting off to the side, my eyes fiercely finding his once more.

He looked almost excited and intrigued. He roared as he ran to me, his fist drawn back. I side stepped him, and he whipped around quickly, his eyes flashing at me. I charged, and I launched myself at him. My shoulder connected with his chest, and suddenly, the tower of a man was falling backward. He collided with the ground, and I landed on top of him, almost painfully against the stony muscle of his chest.

The people were gasping, very apparently speechless.

His hands were gripping my hips, lingering on my curves before lifting me off of him. A broad smile crossed his mouth. He climbed to his feet, and he helped me to mine.

"This woman is worthy!" He announced, bringing my hand up over my head.

I was breathless, but I felt pretty damned triumphant. I had held my own against this mountain of a man, and I had done it with my skill alone. I had been confident that I would have a chance, but I hadn't realized that the fight would end so quickly.

I looked over to Kent and Reaver. Kent was clapping avidly, his blue eyes shining with pride and amazement. Reaver was staring not at me, but at Teroh with slitted eyes.

"You must truly be a hero," He said with a hearty nod. "No other could fight like that." He threw an arm around me and the people marveled at us. "I will speak with you tonight. You alone. You will come at sundown."

I was weary of going alone, but I nodded, not able to really argue. I was in his territory. I had to abide by his rules.

* * *

I held a cool rag to my jaw, and I lounged in the chair in the hut that Teroh's people had led me to. I was sore all over, but it wasn't bad. I would endure it. I set the rag back in the water, and I closed my eyes, leaning back. I fanned myself gently. It was still too hot.

"Well, I'm glad to see that _you're_ at ease," Reaver said, entering the room stealthily. He still looked angry. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his foot tapped gently against the ground.

I opened my eyes, and I straightened in my chair. "You're still mad."

"I am _livid_," He growled. "You threw yourself in danger's way, and I had to watch while that monster brutalized you. Teroh's guards had to hold me back from storming into the ring the first time he struck you."

I glanced away, slightly ashamed.

"If the savages wouldn't have taken my weapons, he would have been dead," He said.

I exhaled softly. "I am sorry you had to watch that."

"That's not even all of it, Lily," He fumed, starting a furious pace around the small room. "The way he touched you after it was over was..." He trailed off, too angry to continue.

I stood to catch him. I cupped his face in my hands. "You're looking too closely, love."

"He wants you, Lilyana," He told me.

I shook my head. "You are definitely looking too closely, now."

"Don't discount what I say," he said, seizing me by the arms. "I know the look he had in his eyes when it was over. I have seen it more times than I could possibly count."

I pulled his face to mine. "Even if he was looking at me that way, I don't look at him that way."

"Oh, don't lie, Lilyana," He snapped.

"I am not a slave to my sex drive, like some others," I said, releasing him and moving back to the chair. I grabbed the rag to dab at my lip, which was throbbing as my blood pressure rose from anger. I tossed the thing back into the water, causing it to splash out onto the ground.

"I don't know. In my experience you folded pretty quickly when the littlest amount of pressure was applied." His face was reddening.

"Leave," I said, pointing my finger toward the door.

He pushed my hand down. "You're not going to end this discussion that easily. You are a piece of meat to him, and now that you've proven that you can hold your own, he's suddenly realized that he is famished. You are just too naïve and trusting to see it. He will not stop pursuing you until he's had a taste." He pulled me against him. "I have had the same hunger, but with every taste it increased."  
"He will not be tasting me," I said, stroking the side of his face.

Reaver's muscles relaxed, and he leaned in to kiss me, but a voice interrupted us. He drew away quickly.

"Lady-King," said a woman entering the room. Teroh's people apparently did not happen to care for the word Queen, or they had no use for it. I accepted this title, actually a little amused. "King Teroh has inquired of your condition. He wants to be sure that he has not bruised your beautiful face too severely."

Reaver's eyes shot me a 'I told you so' look.

"I am fine," I assured her. "I heal quickly."

"He also requests that you come early," She said. "But your dress...is not appropriate for such a meeting."

I was wearing what I had fought in. I had planned on changing, of course, but I had also not planned on going to Teroh's hut for another hour or so. "Yes, of course."

The woman bowed, and she exited the hut.

"I now regret making you pack all of the flouncy, alluring clothing," He said, frowning.

"Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better about this?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows.

"Perhaps." He started to undress me quickly, discarding my dirty clothes off to the side. He inspected my legs and tutted when he saw how severely they had been scraped during my heroic slide. "If you let me dress you, I will feel immensely better."

I merely laughed, agreeing to his silly demand.

When I was stripped naked, he grabbed a pair of the tiny underthings. Reaver knelt before me, tying the small underwear tightly onto my hips, but he worked at it much longer than it should usually take. When I glanced down, I saw that he was tying a complicated, almost impossible knot with the strings.

"You don't trust me?" I asked, cocking a brow.

"I trust you without question, my love," He assured me. "I do _not_ trust the grabby fellow that you are about to have a private discussion with." When he was pleased with the security of my womanhood, he stood, and he planted a kiss on the uninjured side of my face.

"Are you quite finished?" I asked.

"I still have to tie your dress," He informed me.

After I was strapped tightly into a more form-fitting, less see-through dress, Reaver gave me a nod of approval.

"What if I have to...er...relieve myself?" I asked.

He just grinned. "Oops."

After Reaver had left, promising that he would be sitting in his hut, both Dragonstompers within quick reach, I saw that a villager was waiting for me.

"Lady-King," She said, bowing her head low. "If I may?" She held up her hands toward my hair, which was a total mess.

I was beginning to see where Reaver was going with his little theory. I allowed myself to be primped and polished to a true Queen-like appearance. My hair was pulled back and styled into an elegant plait down my back. She stuck flowers into the braid, and she nodded when she was through.

"King Teroh has commented on the Lady-King's beauty," She informed me. "He has a very careful eye about who he takes to his table."

"I assume that Teroh is married?"

"No woman has won that honor, yet."

I exhaled, and I hoped that I wouldn't have to dodge Teroh's advances all night.

**A/N: If the chapter name doesn't make sense, remember that Lilyana is called Lady-King among Teroh's people. Please let me know what you thought by leaving a review! **


	5. Deep, Black Silence

-Chapter Four-

"You sent for me, My Queen?" asked Kent as he entered the hut. He bowed.

"I need you to speak to Reaver for me," I said. "Do you remember that I told you of a man that Kalin had requested be found?"

He nodded.

"Ask him to go and search for Bo-An," I said.

"And what will I be doing while he searches?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Watching Teroh's hut," I told him. "I don't trust him. He may try something that isn't honorable, and if he does, I will need you."

"I beg your pardon, My Queen, but don't you believe Reaver would be better suited for that type of duty?" He asked.

"He hasn't been very focused today," I explained.

Kent nodded. "Yes. I've noticed that."

"Stay close to the hut, but stay out of sight," I said. "If anything happens, I will call for you."

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said with another bow. He left the small hut.

I sighed. I wasn't exactly sure what would happen tonight, but I needed to be prepared. I walked to my bag, and I opened it. I extracted a small dagger and its sheath. I pulled my dress up to my hip to strap the dagger onto my inner thigh, concealing it completely. I let the dress fall loose around my feet, and I turned to pace the room.

"Lady-King," said the same handmaiden who had done my hair. "The Hero-King will see you, now."

We exited my private hut, and I saw Reaver speaking to Kent outside of their shared hut. Reaver's eyes found me, and his lips pressed into a tight, nervous line. He gave me a soft nod, and he returned to his conversation with Kent.

I was led into the hut to see a generous dinner set on the large table. Teroh was not yet there, but the woman led me to at seat and had me sit. She bowed stiffly, and exited the room. I adjusted the strap wrapped around my thigh. The dagger was rubbing uncomfortably against my bare skin, but I would have to deal with it.

Moments later, Teroh entered. He looked more groomed than he had been earlier. His hair was gathered and tied together, only a few of the stray dreadlocks falling in his face. He wore a large medallion with an intricate pattern laced around a large, sparkling white stone in the middle. It reminded me vaguely of the Desert Star that I had brought back to Albion.

He took a seat at the head of the table.

"Good evening," I greeted him congenially.

He nodded in reply, and he started helping himself to food. I did the same.

"My people say that they admire your skill in battle," Teroh told me.

I nodded gently, listening.

"Such qualities that you posses would be most becoming of a Queen," He said.

"I am a Queen," I said, looking deliberately at him.

"A King rules. A Queen is the wife of a King," Teroh said. "You would maybe make a good wife, after you learn your true place."

I pressed my lips together, holding my tongue.

"A bargain can be struck, beautiful one," He said, moving his hand across the table to cover mine. "Spend the night with me, and I _will_ convince you to become my Queen."

His patronizing tone was not soothing my rising temper. I took my hand from beneath his. "I have no intention of beating around the bush, Teroh," I said, taking a sip of the water in the goblet set before me. "I am here to address the issue of your attacks on my people."

"_Your_ people?" He asked. A booming laugh echoed through the hut. "The Aurorans are not _your_ people."

"They became my people when they came to me for aid, and I helped them," I said. "I will not turn my back on them simply because they were born in a country that is not mine."

He blinked for a minute. "They are weak, and they need strong leadership. I will be a good King for them."  
"They have a Queen," I said. "One who did not scare them into forfeiting their loyalties."

"There are casualties of war," He said.

"Is this a war?" I asked, cocking a brow.

He merely smirked.

"I don't take kindly to people hurting my friends. You injured Kalin to prove a point to me. Remember that I bested you before, and I will do it again if I need to."

He laughed. "Bested me?"

"We fought, and you submitted."

"You are a woman, and you were lucky," He said. "I decided to take pity on you and let you win."

I set my goblet down, and I felt the heat rising in my cheeks. "Teroh, I am warning you, end this now, and I will leave without taking action against you."

Teroh ignored me, instead taking a long sip of his drink. He put his hand over his chest. "This necklace was given to me by my father. It has a special bond with the desert, and the people of the desert."

Was that how he controlled the sand furies?" I sat straighter.

"If I want, I could raze this village to the ground and start again," He said. "The people do not matter to me. They follow me because I am their true King. They will always follow me."

"You don't wield any true power," I said. "You can swing a large sword and proclaim yourself King all you want, but that will not make it so."

He rose, his anger evident on his face. "I _am_ the King here, and no woman speaks to me that way."

I stood as well, my hands folded in front of me, close to the dagger between my thighs. "You are not a King. You are a man with a false sense of heroism. A hero does not mean one has powers."

"You do not know what I have done. What I can do to you." He lunged, and I caught his fist.

I opened my mouth to yell for Kent, but I was interrupted by Teroh's fist striking me across the mouth. He pushed me down against the table, tearing at my dress.

"You will see, now," He said, moving his hand around the stone on the necklace—clockwise twice, then counter-clockwise once.. "You will see what happens to those who threaten The Hero-King." He moved his hand from the necklace to sock me in the ribs. I immediately knew they were broken.

The shriek of sand furies rang through the village and it was followed by the panicked shrieks of Teroh's people.

I reached between my legs, and I pulled the dagger, swinging at him, but he batted my hand away.

He pressed himself down on me once more, and his stinking breath hit my nose, and he held up his hand. A flame engulfed it, and he moved to wrap it around my exposed thigh.

A scream forced its way out of my throat as my flesh burned. I drove the dagger into the soft tissue of his neck. Flame spat across the room, catching the little hut ablaze. I drew the blade across the rest of his throat, cutting deeply. I was showered in his blood, and I quickly closed my mouth and eyes, I shoved him off of me, snatching the necklace hastily, breaking the leather cord that it hung from.  
"KENT!" I screamed, but he has already here, most likely having run in when the flames started to spread.

"My Queen!" He said, helping me up. "We need to get you-"

A supportive beam came down on top of him pinning him to the ground on top of Teroh.

I grabbed the burning beam, stifling a cry of pain, and I pushed it off of him. I lifted him up, and I threw him over my shoulder. He was limp, but he was breathing. My strength was waning quickly, and I hurried toward the door. The way caved in. "Shit!" I cried, tears streaming down my eyes. I couldn't see. The smoke was filling my lungs.

Over the roaring of the flame, I heard shots being fired, drawing closer to the hut.

I would have to use all of my Will to transport the two of us to the Sanctuary. I would have to return for Reaver. I closed my eyes, and I focused my Will.

We materialized in The Sanctuary, and I saw that Jasper was there, on guard. He leaped to help me with Kent, laying him down on the ground.

"What has happened, Your Majesty?" He asked.

"There is no time to explain," I said, panicking, laying my hands back on the map over Teroh's camp. Nothing happened. "It's not working!" I tried again, then again, then again. I slammed my hand down on the map. "Reaver is still there..." I started to cough and my ribs ached. I leaned over the map, and I kept trying.

"I don't understand..." Jasper said, his face baffled.

I closed my eyes, and I focused every ounce of energy I had into this one action. Everything went black, and I could hear, but I couldn't see. The roaring flames, screaming men and women, and my name.

_"LILYANA!" _Reaver's voice shouted.

Then all of the sound ended, and I was left only with deep, black silence.

* * *

I found myself in a white, misty place, suddenly. It looked very much like the road that Theresa had led me down when I was gathering the revolution.

"You stretch yourself too far, child," said Theresa's voice faintly from behind.

"Wh-why are you here?" I asked, turning around.

"Because you are in need of me," She said, folding her hands together. "You have come to a crossroads."

"What happened with the map?" I asked.

"The map will not put you in the middle of direct danger," She told me. "And in putting all your energy into it, you nearly destroyed its magic."

I closed my eyes, exhaling.

"You musn't go after him," Theresa said.

I opened my eyes once more. "I have to."

"If you go after him, you will find only more woe," She said. "You must trust that your life will go the way it is supposed to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped.

"Things will be clear later, Hero," She said.

"What will happen if I go after him?" I asked.

"You will die," She said simply, her breathy voice almost sympathetic. "And he will also die."

"If I don't go...will he return safely?" I asked.

"That, I cannot tell you."

"What's the point of being a powerful seer if you do not divulge what you see?!" I exclaimed.

"I am here to guide you, not to tell your fortune," She said. "If you go after him, you will die. The desert will devour you and the amulet you carry."

"The amulet?"

"Teroh's necklace," She explained. "It must be returned to its place of power in order to reverse the spell his father's father put on the people of Shifting Sands."

"The sand furies?" I asked.

She nodded gravely. "You are not Teroh's kin, and the amulet recognizes that. While you have it, the desert is a dangerous place."

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

"There is a crypt you must find, replace it in the hands of the Desert Queen, and the spell should reverse," She said.

I sighed. It was always something. "Can you please tell me what's going to happen to Reaver?"

"I am sorry, child," She said, turning. "He turned his back on my help long ago, but the longer you wait to return the amulet, the longer his life is in danger."

* * *

I woke in a bed. And I shot up. My wounds were healed, and I looked around. "No..." I was in Aurora. I climbed out of bed, and I stormed out of the bedroom.

Jasper and Kent sat waiting for me.

Kent rose, and Jasper did the same.

"How did we end up here?" I asked, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

Jasper's face grew very solemn. "When you drained your energy, I tried everything to revive you, but nothing worked. Kent's wounds needed tending and so did yours. As you know, I can only transort between the major cities. I had to bring us to Aurora."

I nodded slowly. "Where is the amulet that I had?"

"It's stored safely in the sanctuary," Jasper said. "I wasn't sure what you wanted done with it, but..."

"I have to leave immediately," I said. "I have to return the amulet to the desert."

"You what?" Jasper questioned.

Kent said, "Your Majesty, let me accompany you. I owe you my life and more."

I turned to look him over. He looked a little worn around the edges, but he seemed to be well enough for this journey. "Yes," I said. "I need someone I can trust."

"Can I persuade you to not put yourself in danger?" Jasper asked me, raising his eyebrows.

"I have to," I said. "If I don't return the amulet to its place, the desert will be overrun by sand furies, and Aurora will be in danger."

I turned, and I moved back into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reaver's top hat, his goggles banded around it. I took the goggles from the hat, and I set them on the bed. They would, no doubt, be useful if the wind picked up in the sandy desert.

Luckily, I still had some practical clothing packed, though it was a little heavy for marching around the desert. I pulled on a white shirt that had short, puffy sleeves, and I pulled a chocolate-colored vest of Reaver's over it, mostly wanting it for its many hidden pockets. The skirt that I was left with was frilly and not well suited for an adventure in the desert, but with most of my clothes having been lost at Teroh's I was very limited, at the moment.

I slipped the goggles over my head , and I moved to slip on my most comfortable boots for adventuring.

I heard Jasper knocking a the door.

"Come in," I called.

When he entered, he looked hesitant to speak.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," I replied quickly.

"May I ask..." He said with pause. "I know you better than a lot of people. It is unlike you to just...abandon someone."

I looked down to the ground. "Theresa visited me."

His eyebrows shot up. "What did she say?"

"She told me to return this amulet to its rightful place. She told me that I needed to do it quickly, and that if I went after Reaver...we would both die."

Jasper exhaled heavily. "I am sorry, Your Majesty."

I nodded gently, and I wiped a budding tear away. "She wouldn't tell me what would become of him. I have no idea if he will return safely." The prospect of losing another man I loved was dizzying. I felt nauseous thinking about it.

"Have faith, My Queen," He said, rubbing my shoulder. "You will do your duty, and you will surely be rewarded, somehow."

Again, I nodded. "Thank you, Jasper. You always know what to say."

I wasn't convinced, but I clung to his words, repeating them in my mind as a mantra. I breathed, and I moved to Reaver's weapon's chest. I only then realized that I had also lost my father's sword. My heart stung, but I reached in to grab a pistol. I could visit the Sanctuary. My father's hammer was still in the armory, but I chose not to use that. It was too slow, and I would surely be facing sand furies. They were too fast for a weapon like that. I'd need something quick and swishy. I had a sword just right for the occasion.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Reviews, follows and favorites are greatly appreciated!**


	6. Shifting Sands

-Chapter Five-

I squinted through Reaver's goggles out to the horizon. There was nothing. Only more sand and hills and heat. We'd walked all day yesterday, and now today it seemed like we would be doing more walking. I looked at the compass and I turned my body to face a little more west than we had been heading. Theresa hadn't explicitly given me a location—only that it was a crypt in Shifting Sands. Though, by now, I should have been used to vague predictions from The Seer. We had to be close, though. Perhaps tomorrow morning...I pocketed the compass, and I nodded over to Kent. "This way."

Kent wasn't dressed in his uniform. He had opted for something more casual and easy to move in. He offered me a handsome smile as he stepped toward me. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"You can call me Lilyana or Lily when there's no one else around," I said. "I know that I am the Queen. You don't need to keep telling me"

"Yes...Lilyana," He said, adjusting the pack on his back.

Silence grew between us

"So, I haven't gotten a chance to thank you," I said as we continued on. "You saved me."

"Thank me?" He asked, raising his brow. "No. I should be thanking you. All I did was jump in and get smashed by a flaming piece of wood."

I shrugged. "You tried to come to my rescue."

He nodded.

"It's the thought that counts," I offered him a small smile.

As we walked on, my mind wandered. I wondered if he was even alive. My heart twisted unpleasantly under my chest, and I exhaled. Would he forgive me for leaving him behind. I hadn't done it by choice, but I had still done it. He was left to deal with the flames and the sand furies, and I had gotten off rather easily.

"Lily," said Kent, putting his hand on my shoulder. "He's going to be alright."

Could he read my mind or was my worry just that obvious? "I just wish I knew..."

"When I was younger," He started. "I was separated from my regiment. We were out here in Aurora, and I was still so green. I got separated, and I wandered for days. I managed to make it back to Aurora. I'm sure someone as clever as Reaver will, too." He patted me gently, and he stuck his hands into his pockets.

He was right. Reaver was not a green little newbie. According to him, he'd taken down an entire ship full of seasoned pirates single-handedly. Though, I wasn't sure how much of that was exaggeration.

"What do you think of him?" I asked. Perhaps Kent's opinion would be a purer representation of Reaver. He hadn't been predisposed to hate him because of his ruthless business practices and some of his more cruel interests. Though, Reaver had shown that he was trying to reel it in, if only for my sake. "Tell me the truth. You won't hurt my feelings, Kent."

"He's pompous and rude," he replied. "But he cares about you. It's understandable, though. You _are_ an amazing woman."

I blushed a little. I had noticed Kent's eyes lingering a little longer than they should have, on occasion, but it was always flattering to hear someone say something like that out loud. It was good Reaver wasn't here, at present, or Kent might have an extra hole somewhere on his body already. I sighed heavily at the thought.

"Uh...don't take that as me flirting with you while you're vulnerable and upset. That wasn't how I meant it," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm too old for you, anyway." He laughed nervously, his face reddening around the edges.

I almost said something, but I instead just smiled. I wasn't even rightly sure how much older Reaver was. He had never explicitly said so.

"I'll take your silence as mercy," Kent said, putting his hands in his pockets. He offered me a smile, and I gave him one in return. "I always was rubbish with women. It's always nice to know that you have at least one constant in life."

"Don't worry," I said. "Once people start to hear that you've saved The Queen's life, you probably won't even have to try."

"Ah, yes," He chuckled. "Wherever I go, I'll just announce myself as The Queen's personal, and very macho, hero."

"That sounds like a legitimate strategy," I said.

We laughed, but it wasn't long before we both paused. Something had been moving around us.

A pack of sand furies sprang on us, but we were prepared. I grabbed the pistol at my hip, and drew the intricate, golden-tinted cutlass from my back. Kent drew his rifle, and he let off a shot, hitting one square in the chest.

I noticed that our enemies were a lot less agile and graceful. They seemed confused, and their movements weren't as sure as they usually were. It was easy enough to dispatch the five stumbling creatures between the two of us. I leaned down and I inspected one of the bodies. Nothing looked different about these sand furies. Perhaps it was the amulet's presence.

"That was...simple," said Kent, stowing his rifle and rubbing his chin.

"The amulet...it can summon them," I told him. "Maybe it has different effects as well."  
He nodded. "Come on, Lily. We should set up some sort of camp. The sun will be setting soon."

We didn't have much more than a small, tent-like structure and two bedrolls, but I set that up while Kent built a small fire. I glanced around the area. It was very open and vulnerable to attack, so we would most likely have to sleep in shifts as we had the night before, though Kent had volunteered to stay watch the whole night.

I watched him. He was a very hard worker and very devoted. I needed more men like him in Albion. Perhaps I would offer him a better position, and I would be able to introduce him to all of the lovely noblewomen in search of a handsome, heroic husband. I smirked at the thought.

"The fire is built," Kent announced. "And dinner is served."

"What are we having?" I asked, knowing the answer was not going to be anything that could be considered appetizing.

"Bread, dried meat and...hold on...more bread," He said.

I followed him over to the fire, and I plopped down in the sand.

"So, tell me about your adventure," He said, ripping off a piece of bread and handing it to me. "You must have had a few in your day."

"More than a few," I laughed, taking the bread. I took a bite. It was dry, but it was food.

"I don't mean to be rude, but..." His eyes were focused on the scars running down my jaw. "Those look like they've got a story." His gaze drifted to my collarbone and further down, inspecting me.

"Balverines," I said.

"You're kidding me, right?" He asked, raising a brow. "I thought they were just a tale that soldiers told when they got too scared of the sounds of the forest."

I shook my head.

"Well, tell me!" He said excitedly, taking a drink of water and handing the skin over to me.

I sipped gently before sighing. "Alright. I'll tell you how I got them."

He leaned in, his eyes brightening and his smile broadening.

"When Logan was still King, I was part of an underground resistance."  
"Yes, I know about that."

"Well, some of our men had been captured trying to gain intelligence on one of Logan's most powerful allies," I said. "And they were captured."

He nodded, encouraging me to go on.

"The leader of the resistance, Page, and I infiltrated a masquerade party in Millfields," I continued. "It was a party for a secret society, but we were let in rather easily. It wasn't until we reached Page's man, Kidd, that we realized that it had all been a trap laid by Reaver."

"Reaver?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

I nodded.

"Oh, go on," He said. "I'm suddenly very interested, now."

I laughed. "Well, I will just say that Reaver believed he was simply throwing two pieces of the resistance to the wolves. Well, mercenaries and hobbes and sand furies."

"Oh my."

"After Page and I defeated the waves of enemies, we discovered that the secret society that Reaver was throwing this party for...well, they were all _Balverines_."

Kent could only laugh.

"Page and I defeated them all, but not without me getting swiped at a few times," I said, indicating the scars. "It wasn't until after all of his guests were dead that Reaver realized just who he had attacked. Luckily, Reaver fled. After all of that fighting, I don't think I could have beaten him."

"And how does this end with you getting engaged to the man responsible for all of it?" He asked.

"That is a different story," I said.

"We've got all night."

"It's not something that I really feel like discussing," I told him honestly. Not only was I intent on keeping Nathaniel's plot and the reason for it as secret, but the reminder rubbed salt in the ever-growing hole in my heart. My worry overtook me once more. I took a bite of the dried meat, and I stared into the fire.

"Lily, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Kent," I said, looking up to him, blinking the gathering tears away. I changed the subject quickly, trying to push my sorrow down. "Do you want to hear about the gnomes?"

"Gnomes?" He looked truly intrigued.

I laughed. "Well, there was a man in Brightwall named Brian..."

* * *

I watched the horizon as the sun rose. I had hope that Reaver would come flouncing over the hill, assuring me that I had been foolish to think that he'd be defeated so easily, but nothing came. I sighed, running my fingers over the fabric of his vest.

I stood to snuff the fire, shrugging the vest on over my shoulders. I glanced back to see that Kent still slept, peacefully snoring away. I would let him have a little more rest before we set off. I patted my pockets down, in search of the small book that I'd smuggled along, just in case I was too worried to sleep at appropriate times, but I found something else.

I opened the vest to find the secret pocket over my breast that held an intricately folded piece of paper. When I opened it I found that Reaver's fine script covered the scrap.

_If you are reading this note, love, you have crossed the line. You are being far too nosy, and I am disappointed in you. Come to me for your prompt punishment. I cannot say I will take it easy on you, but you may be able to persuade me._

_– x o Reaver._

I laughed, staring down to the piece of paper. Did he have one of these stashed in every vest and jacket, or had he intended for me to go through all his clothes in search of incriminating evidence? I read and reread the note, the smile on my face fading. My heart-strings bundled up into a tight knot, and I folded the piece of paper, stowing it back in his vest. I missed him.

If Theresa would have told me he would be safe, I would feel infinitely better, but she was vague, as always. I found my book in the pocket over my opposite breast, and I opened it. Though, suddenly, I wasn't in the mood to read.

* * *

We hiked into familiar territory. The ruins of an old civilization littered the place. We had arrived, but I felt ill at ease. There was a presence awakened that I had never felt before.

"Does this place give you a weird feeling?" Kent asked, stepping closer to me.

"Yes," I confirmed. I heard shifting behind us, and I whipped around.

Nothing was there.

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

"What?"

I shook my head. Perhaps it was the heat. I sighed, and I stepped forward, opening my eyes. A specter of some sort had appeared before me, and the noise it made was terrifying. I jumped backward, and Kent caught me. The thing had disappeared, but the sinking, terrified feeling in the pit of my stomach hadn't.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"You didn't see that?" I asked.

He shook his head quickly. "I didn't see anything, Lily." He released me, and he took the pack off of his back. He grabbed the skin of water, and he put it in my hands. "I know we're close, but you need to take a break. Drink."

I obeyed, taking a long draw of water. The terror spread within me. I wasn't sure what this presence was, but I knew it had something to do with the amulet in the pouch at my hip. I closed my eyes, and I could see it again. It was staring into me, reading me. I was reminded of The Crawler, but this entity was different, yet somehow connected. I breathed deeply, looking off into the sun, trying to purge the dark thoughts from my mind.

"Do you feel any better?" Kent questioned as I handed him the water. He took a small sip for himself before stowing it away.

"No," I said, glancing around. "I don't."

"Well, that's not very reassuring," he said. "Maybe you need to sit down."

"No," I replied. "I need to put this thing where it belongs."  
"That could be anywhere."

I pulled the thing out of the pouch, and I stared at it.

Words that weren't mine left my lips, "This was a gift from The Gods."

"What?"

I shook the lingering feeling off of me, and I gulped. "Kent, something is...I can't explain it."

He moved to grab the amulet from me, now knowing that it was what was causing my distress, but my arms pulled it out of his reach.

"I can't have this affecting you, too," I said hurriedly, struggling to get the words out. "I-"

Suddenly, I was plunged into a different world. I looked around. It was the same place, but it was a different time. The ruins of Shifting Sands were not ruins. They were grand statues and buildings. People surrounded me, all kneeling. I glanced down to myself. I was dressed all in white, and the amulet was draped around my neck, though it was on a rich golden chain.

"Blessed One," said a tall, handsome man, taking my hand. He had almond-shaped eyes, and his head was smooth. His dark skin had the faintest speckling of freckles across his nose and cheeks. He was truly glorious to gaze upon. "You have gathered your people, so speak." His touch made my heart rise in my chest, and I couldn't help but smile.

I didn't know what to say, but the words left me in a voice that wasn't mine. "My people, the Gods were pleased with our offerings, and our harvest was bountiful."

The people cheered.

"But we must not grow lazy and complacent in these times," I continued. "We must work hard to keep our Gods happy, and they will work hard to keep us happy. Blessed are our people, and happy will our times be if we have faith."

The people one again applauded, and the man at my side led me away.

"You speak beautifully, Blessed One," The man said as he led me into a temple-like building. "The Gods chose their voice well."

We turned a corner, out of sight from anyone, and he pressed me against a wall. My stomach leaped upward with exhilaration as he pressed a searing kiss against my throat. Every fiber of my body screamed that his was forbidden, wrong, but I grasped him by the face, and I kissed him, love flooding through me.

"Blasphemy!" cried a voice.

He tore away from me, and I looked.

A round man with a severe face was pulling my lover away from me.

"The Blessed One is to remain pure, untainted!" The man spat. "You are a defiler of the worst kind, Bet-lan! A priest of the faith is to protect The Blessed One, not corrupt her with lust!"

Bet-lan's eyes were wide and scared as he was pulled away. This trespass would result in swift punishment: death.

"NO!" I screamed. I rushed forward, grasping the man by his neck.

He released Bet-lan, and I felt Will surge through me. The man trembled and jerked as bolts of electricity surged through him. When I released him, he dropped lifeless to the floor.

"My love, what have you done?" asked Bet-lan, his eyes still full of fear.

I grasped him, pressing a desperate kiss against his mouth.

"Nothing will separate us, dearest one," I wept. "The Gods would not have given me such feelings if they hadn't intended for me to act on them..." Our mouths met once more.

My eyes fluttered open, and I found that I was laying on the ground with my hands grasping Kent's face firmly. He was red and flustered as he tried to catch his breath.

"I...uh...are you alright, Your Majesty?" He tried to sound as formal as possible as he drew away from me.

"What happened?" I asked, sitting up, wiping a thin film of sweat from my brow.

"You stopped talking," He said. "In the middle of a sentence. And then you were mumbling, putting the amulet on..." He was panicked, and still very red. "And then you tried to shoot lightning at me, which, thankfully you weren't successful at. When I tried to steady you on your feet...you...ah...kissed me...and dragged me down into the sand...and kissed me more."

My face flared with a deep flush. "I'm sorry, Kent. I didn't-"

"Yes, of course not." Kent turned away, trying to gather himself. "I understand. It was the amulet..or something."

"Do you need water?" I asked.

"I need a moment," He said, still facing away.

I pressed my lips together. "I saw something."

"Yes?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder, still faced away.

"It was...a vision of the past, I believe," I said. "The original owner of this amulet."

I went into detail telling him the story, and he seemed both comforted and saddened by the fact that my assault on him was all part of the vision.

He finally faced me. "We need to find where that thing belongs."

"Maybe these visions will lead me to it," I offered.

"That's dangerous, Lily," He came back. "If something were to happen to you on this journey...I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You're under my protection, and I'm saying no."

I cocked a brow. "You'd say no to The Queen of Albion."

"Eh...yes?" he paused. "If it keeps you out of danger."

I sighed. "I may not be able to control these visions."

"Maybe we should just let you rest for a while," He said. "Put the amulet away and have some water."

**A/N: Yes, yes. I know. You're all worried about our favorite Pirate King/Business Tycoon. Suspense and all that, but I am working on more right now! Don't forget to review, favorite and follow!**


	7. Enough

-Chapter Six-

"The Queen has requested that you help find Lady Kalin's friend, Bo-An." Kent told him. His blue eyes shifting back and forth.

"No, I don't believe that's going to happen," Reaver said, shaking his head gravely. He was not going to take his eyes off of that hut for the entire duration of her visit. She wasn't safe out of his sight. He couldn't trust the savage, especially not with Lilyana.

"She doesn't want you to worry," Kent said. "She has said that she can take care of herself."

"I realize that she is capable, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to simply sit around," He said. "Not when there's the possibility-"

"She explicitly requested.."

He exhaled angrily. "I will find him, but the moment I do, he's yours to deal with."

Kent nodded. "I understand."

Lilyana was being led from her hut by a small woman. He watched as she moved, her body held high and confident. He almost found himself distracted by her grace and the curves, but he knew that since he was so affected, that Teroh would be sure to notice as well. Her eyes flickered up to find his, and she offered a small, reassuring smile, but all he could do was grimace. He didn't like this at all, but he knew that she was determined to do this _her_ way.

He gave her a soft nod, and he tore his gaze away, afraid that if he kept watching her, he would burst into the hut and kill Teroh just to prove that she was his. That wouldn't likely endear him to the woman he loved.

"Whatever she told you to do..." Reaver said. "Listen to me instead. At the first sign of danger, of anything unsavory, you go in after her, and you drag her out if need be."

Kent nodded. "Don't worry. I will not let any harm come to her."

Reaver cursed softly as he turned to look for this Bo-An. The first few villagers he approached refused to speak to him. They were probably terrified of what that mountainous beast would do to them for talking to the foreign stranger. He kept his eyes out, and eventually he found a woman that was eyeing him, a soft pink blush spreading through her. He could work with that.

"Well, aren't _you_ a beautiful desert flower?" He asked, putting a hand on his hip. He tossed his hair gently, and he turned up the intensity of his smolder.

The girl giggled, and she shook her head. "If anyone sees me talking to you, I will be in much trouble."

"Well, we don't have to talk very long," He said. "I am looking for a friend of mine. His name is Bo-An. He came with a group from Aurora not long ago."

Her face suddenly shifted. "I am not allowed to speak of such things."

This didn't bode well.

He let his lips turn up into a grin, and he reached to tuck a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. "Now, dear, I won't tell anyone that you spoke to me if you don't."

She glanced around, her breasts heaving as she breathed heavily.

"Come now," he said, pressing closer, their bodies almost touching. "I'm simply looking for my friend." He tilted his head, stroking her cheek gently.

She trembled, and her eyes once again searched. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth to moisten her lips.

"You're not going to make me beg, are you, darling?"

"The King gave him to the wicked ones," the woman said, her voice shaking. "He said that they demanded a sacrifice."

Damn. Reaver didn't let his facade falter. He simply leaned in and pressed his lips delicately against her cheek. "Thank you for helping me, lovely one."

Her breath caught in her throat, and a soft noise left her. "I must go."

He backed away, and he watched her scamper off, glancing back at him with a red face.

He regretted that he would have to report such bad news, but now he could focus on watching the hut.

A scream rang through the desert, and for a moment, his eyes shot to the hut. It hadn't been Lilyana that screamed, though. The scream was joined by others. Many others.

The sand furies rushed on the village, and he drew his a Dragonstomper from his waist. Every shot he aimed hit its target, but they seemed to be endless. His worried eyes shot over to Teroh's hut once more. Smoke rose through the doorway, and he cursed loudly. He saw Kent rushing for the door.

He drew his sword, and he sent the toe of his boot into a nearby torch, engulfing one of them in flames, slicing across three more as he fled. The whole village could burn. He didn't care. He only cared about making his way towards the town's center. He fought and shot his way toward the blazing hut. The door had caved in, and he heard a desperate cry. He stashed his sword, and he used his free hand to pull at the collapsing debris. Every second of touching the flaming building was painful, but he had to get in.

He used all of his might to push the very last beam out of his way. He rushed in, bringing his hand over his mouth and nose. He squinted through the smoke and flames. The heat and smoke made his eyes water with stinging tears.

"Lily?" He called out, jumping over the large table in the middle of the hut. He saw Teroh dead with his throat cut. A twinge of pride sprang through him, but it was quickly replaced with worry. Where had she gone? He hadn't seen her leave the hut. Could she be somewhere else? He turned over some of the fallen beams, double checking. His hands were burnt and trembling, but he endured it.

The hut was clear of all signs of Lily, so he made his way out, narrowly avoiding the collapse of the whole hut.

"_LILYANA!_" He cried out, looking around for any sign of her among the fleeing people and attacking sand furies.

* * *

The desert seemed endless, but he kept walking west. His plan was to reach the coast and follow it all the way back to Aurora, but he had to make it to the coast first. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going. He'd run out of water the day before and he'd been walking without rest. He was determined to find his way back to Lilyana before he died of thirst.

He was walking through some large ruins. Everything looked as if it had been devoured by the sand, slowly sinking into the earth. His legs felt like rubber beneath him, and he grunted as he focused intently on putting one foot in front of the other. His energy was waning. He'd never felt so tired. He gazed forward and he saw something in the shimmering distance.

It looked very much like Lily and that soldier Kent rolling in the sand kissing like crazy. He squinted and he dropped to his knees. What a cruel mirage. Had he more energy, he might have asked to join. He coughed, and his whole body folded down into the sand. He couldn't believe that this was how it was going to happen.

He had lived so long without letting anyone in, and now that he had, it was done. He was done. Maybe that's what led him here. Maybe this was all her fault. She had no right to be so beautiful and tempting. She had no right to tell him no and draw him in deeper. She was literally going to be the death of him. He would have never gone into the wretched desert if he hadn't been searching for her. And yet, she was worth all of this. The short stretch of time he'd had with her was enough. It was enough to make him see that he could still be human.

He glanced up once more and everything went white.

* * *

"Let's go," I said to Kent. He'd forced me to sit down with food and water, but now that I was feeling slightly better, I was eager to get this over with. Perhaps once my quest was through, I'd be free to search for Reaver. Every moment I wasted was another moment that he was in danger.

He nodded, and he helped me to my feet. He stowed the water in the bag, and he slung it over his shoulders once more. "What exactly are we looking for?" He asked.

"I don't know...maybe this thing will tell me when we get close," I said. I didn't dare wear the thing, but I held it in my hand once again. I glanced down to the dazzling stone. Perhaps if I stared long enough, I'd be drawn back in for more clues.

"Well wherever...wait," Kent paused. "Do you see that? Or is it just me?" He pointed over to the east. "What is _that_?"

I brought the goggles down over my eyes, and I looked. It was a huddled up figure. It was a person. My heart stopped, and I tore off running.

"Lily!" shouted Kent, growing further away as I sped off.

I dropped down beside the collapsed figure, and I flipped him onto his back. It was Reaver, but he was unconscious and still. I put my ear by his heart, and I found that it was faintly pumping. "Kent!"

Kent was already approaching, and he just about ripped the bag off of his back, and he searched hastily for the water.

I pulled Reaver onto my legs, and I tried to stir him.

The muscles in his face twitched, and his eyes opened slowly. A vague, far-off smile settled on his lips. His voice was quiet and weak, "If you are a mirage...I will be ever-so disappointed."

Kent put the canteen in my hand, and I pressed it against his lips.

Reaver drank quickly and greedily. When the canteen was empty, I passed it back to Kent. His eyes glanced over me, and his smile transformed into a smirk. "You know what it does to me when you dress so androgynously..."

I laughed, wiping forming tears from my eyes. I pulled him upright, and I wrapped my arms around him.

He weakly embraced me, burying his face into my neck.

"I thought I'd lost you." I closed my eyes, tightening my grip and kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry that I left you."

"As long as you were safe," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I managed."

"Maybe we should set up camp for now," Kent suggested. "Give him time to recover."

I nodded, and I pulled back to look at Reaver. He looked immensely better. He offered a smile, and he brought his hand up to cup my cheek.

"My dear, you aren't going to be rid of me quite so easily," He said.

"Here," Kent offered. He knelt and he lifted Reaver into his arms.

"My, aren't you strong?" Reaver said, looking up to Kent. He cocked a brow. "I never noticed how blue your eyes are. They're quite striking."

I stifled a laugh.

"He must be delirious from the heat," Kent offered, his face fully puzzled.

"Oh, you'd think so," Reaver continued. "But I'm just naturally this charming." He flashed his white grin.

His joking flirtation brought a flood of relief over me. He was going to be fine. I knew it now. I spotted a place in the shade of some of the ruins that would be perfect to erect our small shelter.

* * *

I settled Reaver down onto the bedroll, having stripped him of his shirt and boots. I knelt beside him, and I swept a wet rag across his torso. He sighed at the sensation, and he glanced up to me.

"Once I regain my energy, dear one, I think I might have to carry you the rest of the journey," He said.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "And why would I need carrying?"

"Because when I'm through with you..." He leaned up and put his mouth to my ear. "I daresay you will be _quite_ unable to walk comfortably."

My stomach jumped, but I grinned down to him, intentionally glancing over to Kent. "We won't exactly have privacy, love."

"I don't mind," he replied. "He can watch. He'd probably enjoy it." His eyebrows moved up and down suggestively.

"You need to sleep," I told him.

"I need many things, dear, but sleep is not very high on my list of priorities at the moment," He informed me.

"If you go to sleep, I may consider what we were just discussing," I said, moving the cool rag to his neck, dabbing gently.

He merely smiled, and he closed his eyes. "If you absolutely insist."

* * *

I sat down beside Kent, and he handed me a hunk of bread. I glanced back to the tent, where Reaver slept deeply.

"It's good to see that he will be alright," Kent said, nodding softly and sipping at a flask.

"Yes," I said, but then I smirked. "Have you been holding out on me?"

He offered the flask, and to his surprise, I took it.

I swigged and sighed as the whiskey burned my throat going down.

"You aren't what I expected," He said, suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're The Rebel Queen. A hero born to kick ass and save Albion, but...here you are, having a drink with a soldier," He said. "Every time I think I have you pegged, you surprise me."

I laughed.

"I'm honored to know you," He said. "It'll be a grand disappointment when I have to go back to being a soldier and no longer be the The Queen's companion and protector."

I shrugged lightly. "You are always welcome to return to Albion. There is plenty of room for such a devoted soldier."

"Really?" He asked, tipping his flask back once more.

"That is, if you want to become a decorated officer of The Queen's guard," I laughed.

"That...is quite tempting, actually," He said. "I think I'm getting bloody tired of the desert."

**A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed it! I'm working on getting more done, so be patient. Reviews are so very appreciated, even on my completed works!**


	8. Goodbye

-Chapter Seven-

I had been dreaming all night. The amulet's visions had sunk into my dreams, and I woke with a start. I'd seen very troubling things. The story of The Blessed One, whose real name had been Sharreen, and Bet-lan rushed through my mind in its entirety. I'd been forced to watch all the terrible things that love had driven this woman to do. I raked my hands through my hair, and Reaver sat up to wrap an arm around me.

"What, dear?" He asked, his eyebrows raising.

"I understand why this amulet has such power over the sand furies," I exhaled. "The woman, The Blessed One, she created the sand furies."

"What?" asked Kent, overhearing the conversation. He hurried over to listen.

"I don't know, but she was having an affair with a priest, Bet-lan," I sighed. "It was forbidden, and when they were discovered, she murdered the person who found them. Driven by guilt of having been a part of the murder, Bet-lan took his life. She blamed the society that kept her from being able to love. She summoned her priests and priestesses and she cut out their hearts, and she used dark magic to turn their spirits into sand furies."

Kent looked astonished. "How was that possible?"

"She sought the shadows," I said. "I'm not sure what that means, but-"

"I know what that means," Reaver said, rubbing his chin, nodding gravely.

"The shadows devoured her city, and she was left as guardian of the desert. In order to fulfill that role...she had to cut out her heart," I continued. "She doesn't want the city that kept her from her love to ever rise again."

Reaver looked worried, and he pulled me closer.

"The amulet, it is tied to the sand furies, but also to her people," I said. "Teroh must have been descended from the people that came from Shifting Sands. With the amulet in his hands, the sand furies obeyed, but in my hands...they are confused, unorganized and dangerous."

"Do you know where we need to take the amulet?" Kent asked.

"Yes," I said with a nod.

* * *

As the sun rose, we were already venturing toward the large temple. The statue that crowned it was crumbling and massive. I slipped the amulet back into the pouch at my hip, and I beckoned Reaver and Kent to climb the steps.

Reaver, still very run down, struggled up the steps, but Kent threw his arm over his shoulder to assist.

"Come on, mate," Kent said. "No passing out on us."

Reaver's snorted, but he accepted the help all the same.

"She's in here," I said. "Down in the crypts."

"Crypts?" Kent asked, audibly gulping.

I nodded. I had seen my share of crypts and fought many hollow men, so I felt less anxious. The sooner I finished this, the better. I was tired of the sand and the heat.

The temple was as I had seen it in my dreams, but beaten by time. The silver walls were tarnished, and everything of value had been stolen already. I heard a loud crash behind us, and I saw that the door had sealed shut. Lamps lit rapidly all around us, by magic.

"Damn!" I shouted, drawing my sword.

Reaver's eyes widened as he gazed at the blade. "Where in the blue blazes did you get _that_?"

I looked over the blade. "My father had left it in a chest in his Sanctuary. I lost my other sword in Teroh's camp."

"Oh?" Reaver questioned.

"What? Why?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Perhaps a story for another time."

"Do you hear that?" Kent asked, pulling his own blade.

There was a low hissing noise.

"Hero," said a low, slithering voice. I instantly knew that it was hers. "Come."

I looked around, but I saw nothing.

"Come on," I said. "There's a stop I need to make before we take this amulet down."

I knew the temple's layout intimately. This Blessed One and I had a definite connection. Perhaps it was the Hero's blood in my veins, but perhaps there was a darker parallel. I turned the corner sharply, and we were suddenly in a crypt full of sarcophagi.

"What...what are we doing down here?" Kent asked.

"We are looking for someone," I said. I looked to the end of the room to see a sarcophagus on a raised platform, a beam of light shining upon it. There he was. I passed Reaver my sword, and I took off at a run.

Kent decided to guard the door, but Reaver followed me closely, though slightly slower than he usually would have.

I lifted the heavy lid to the tomb, and I held my breath as dust spewed into the air. My eyes searched and I found it, a lacquered box, about twice the size as the hands that held it. I took the box, and I opened it.

Inside lay a perfectly preserved heart. Her heart. I shut the box, and I nodded in approval.

"Hero!" her voice boomed through the crypt. "How dare you defile a blessed place?!"

I heard Kent yelp briefly, and I turned just in time to see the sand raise up from the floor and grab Reaver, dragging him away and out the door.

"No!" I shouted, tucking the box under my arm and breaking out into a full-on run. My legs pumped tirelessly as I moved to where I knew she would be. I came across a large spiraling staircase, much like the one I'd come across in that cave with Walter all those years ago.

Sand furies blocked my way, and without a proper blade for this fight, I was forced to rely on my pistol and Will powers. I sent a wave of fire through the chamber, and their unearthly howls of pain filled my ears. I whipped around, sending a kick in to the gut of one of the creatures, and I pumped a bullet inside of her.

The remaining furies disintegrated into dust, and I continued down into the bowels of the desert.

As I entered the lower chamber, I saw her. She was large and twisted. Her skin was covered in orange, yellow and black scales. Her eyes were wide and black, staring endlessly into me. Her sharp pointed teeth showed themselves as she smiled.

"Welcome, Hero," her voice was smooth, now. "You keep fine company. Two beautiful men, both devoted to you."

Reaver and Kent hung suspended by ropes of magically animated sand. Their weapons, along with my sword, lay spread on a table behind where Sharreen stood.

"Lily," Kent gasped. "Leave. She only wants to trick you."

"Silence!" Sharreen growled.

The sand wrapped around his throat, and he choked for a moment.

I gulped, stepping forward. "What is it that you want me to do?"

"My heart," She said. "You have removed it from its sacred place."

"With Bet-lan?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, stepping forward.

"What do you know of him?" She whispered, her eyes narrowing to angry slits.

"The amulet...it told me your story," I said, reaching to pull it from the pouch at my side. "It told me because...I am very much like you."

"You are nothing like me," She said.

"I was born into a title that had strict rules about who I could and could not love," I explained. "I had love when I was young...and I had to choose..between him and my people."

She was silent, but her eyes were inquiring, bidding me to go on.

"Elliot gave his own life to save others," I said. "And I honor his sacrifice, but I did not let it destroy me. I found love again..."

"Then it was not true love, you silly girl," Sharreen spat. "When you lose the person you love, it tears your world asunder. Cutting out my heart was no hard feat because it was already so severely damaged. You know nothing!"

I let out a breath. "Please...let these men go."

"Why...is this new love of yours here?" She asked, her tone shifting to amusement. The very idea of it seemed to excite her.

"Is it him?" She glanced over to Kent, whose eyes were wide with terror. "Pure of heart, noble, self-sacrificing? He lost love once, long ago. He shares my pain...But _no_. It isn't him."

Her eyes shot over to Reaver. "Ah...yes. The man cloaked in shadows. Greedy, dark, dangerous...Of course it would be him." She grinned broadly. "A fine man to lust after, but a poor choice for someone you trust with your heart."

I exhaled slowly. "Please...release them."

"Give me my heart," She spat. "And my amulet."

I nodded eagerly. "Yes."

"If you do this...I will give you _one_," She said, moving to stand before me, her body moving like a snake. She towered a full head and half over me. She smelled of dark, dank must. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and I heard a low hiss resonate from her throat. "One of these men may leave with you today. The other...he will be mine—my heartless servant forever."

My heart thudded to a halt, and I looked between them. Reaver and Kent had tangible looks of horror.

"If I give you the heart and the amulet, you give me both," I said.

"I could kill you and keep everything," She seethed, looming toward me once more. "One...or nothing."

I looked to Kent. His eyes found mine deliberately, and he shook his head. He was still silenced by Sharreen, but his eyes were wide and full of fright. He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes, accepting that there was a large possibility that I would not pick him to leave the temple with me.

Reaver looked exhausted, still, but he said nothing. His brown eyes were old and weary. His posture was slumped and resigned.

I heaved a breath.

"Well?"

I gulped the ever-growing lump in my throat. The choice between love and duty had once again been presented. This must have been the crossroads that Theresa had mentioned. I closed my eyes, tears spilling forth.

"Do not cry, Hero," Sharreen said. "It will be over soon enough...now give me the heart and the amulet."

I opened the box, and I removed the heart, looking at it long and hard. In giving it to her and choosing, I would be damaging my own heart. The box slipped to the ground, and it cracked into pieces. I stepped toward her, offering up the heart, and the amulet.

"Good girl," She said. "Now, make your choice."  
I looked between the pair once more. My heart sank, and I drew in a deep breath, gathering my strength. I crossed my arms, and I looked up to Reaver. His eyebrows were raised in concern.

"Lilyana, I-"

"I know," I said with a nod, my tears tightening my voice. I put my hand over my heart, and I tore my gaze away from him. "I love you, too." My voice was barely above a whisper. I turned away, and I walked toward Kent.

"Is this your choice?" Sharreen asked, her eyes wide with anticipation. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth as a soft hiss escaped.

I looked back to Reaver.

He trembled with fear, his lips parted as if he wanted to speak but couldn't.

"Can I say goodbye?" I asked.

Sharreen's eyes shifted from Reaver to me. She obviously saw that the exhausted man was barely a threat. "I will grant you that."

I pressed the heart and amulet into her hands, where she stared intently at the thing that had once inhabited her chest.

Reaver slipped to the ground, and I moved to take him in my arms.

"I'm sorry," I wept. "I am so sorry." I slid my arms around him.

He buried his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. "I forgive you, my love."

"I love you..." I cried, wiping at my face. I slid my hand down his back to find his hands fixed behind him. "You will never be without a heart," I whispered, putting his hand over my breast. "You'll always have mine. Always remember the first night you kissed me...I will. You aimed for my heart...and you struck it."

I drew away to look at his face, and he looked puzzled for a moment, but he leaned in. Our lips met tenderly, then more passionately, and I felt his hand drift further south down my chest, dipping briefly into my shirt. He pushed me away, and he looked away from me.

"Go," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Take the boy home."

I rose, and I looked to Sharreen. "Release Kent."

Sharreen's mouth widened in a grin. "Interesting choice." She turned her attention to Kent, and he slid to the ground, sputtering and coughing.

"Lilyana...I am so sorry," he coughed. "You should have chosen differently..."

Sharreen's eyes found me. "It is done. Now go." She turned toward Reaver, her eyes widening. "I had hoped it would be you. Rise...and come to me."

Reaver pushed himself to his feet, his limbs sagging from exhaustion. He exhaled, and his eyes found mine once again.

I nodded.

Without looking, his arm whipped out, and a dagger sailed through the air, striking Sharreen's heart cleanly.

"NOOOO!" Sharreen shrieked. "YOU TRICKSTER!"

The temple trembled, and dust filed the air. The shrieks of the sand furies sounded everywhere.

Kent was dashing around Sharreen to gather up our weapons.

Sharreen dropped her heart, the dagger still sticking from it, and the amulet. The stone in the amulet cracked, and Sharreen was returned to her human form. Without a heart, she tumbled face-first into the ground, stone dead.

I lifted Reaver to his feet, and I grabbed Kent's hands. "Stay still!"

We evaporated from the crumbling temple.

* * *

Drained of energy, Reaver and I both collapsed to the ground in The Sanctuary. Kent dropped the weapons and stumbled forward, obviously disoriented.

"What?" Jasper asked, coming from the armory. "Your Majesty, Mister Reaver!" He moved to check on both of us.

Kent looked between Reaver and me. "What happened back there? Did I miss something? Was there a plan that I didn't know about?"

"No," I breathed, shaking my head.

"She took all of our weapons," Kent said. "Where did Reaver get that dagger?"

"From me," I said. "It was..er...hidden." I glanced to Reaver. "You remembered."

He smirked. "Every detail, my pet."

"Where was it hidden?" Kent questioned, still very confused.

"Here," I said, pulling the dagger's sheath from between my breasts.

Kent's face reddened. "Oh...so that's why he was...okay."

"You clever girl," Reaver marveled, still smiling.

"I'm glad you were able to read into my hints," I said.

"How did you know she would let you say goodbye?" He questioned, cocking a brow.

"Because that was her deepest desire, that Bet-lan would have given her the chance to say goodbye," I said. "She thought she was getting what she wanted, so she granted me what wasn't given to her. She was being merciful."  
"I am deeply confused," Jasper said, trying to follow our conversation. "Would you care to elaborate?"

I nodded, and I started from the beginning.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please leave a review with your thoughts!**


	9. More Than Anything

-Chapter Eight-

I was sad that I did not have better news to give to Kalin about Bo-An, but she nodded, her eyes full of sadness.

"He was a dear friend of mine," She explained. "The only one to survive The Darkness all those years ago. I had hoped..." She trailed off. "It does not matter, now. Thank you for what you have done, Your Majesty, and you Mister Reaver, and Major Kent."

"Lady Kalin, please allow me to express my deepest sympathies," Reaver said, taking off his hat and bowing. "I...realize what you must be feeing." He glanced over to me briefly, and he straightened.

"Thank you, Mister Reaver," She said, nodding in return. "Your Majesty, you have done your duty...and more. I have heard of what you have done in Shifting Sands. Perhaps the desert can rest in peace."

"Perhaps," I echoed, straightening. I looked over to Reaver, and I saw that his eyes were all over me. Though we had been back for a full day, Reaver and I hadn't seen very much of each other. While Reaver slept, I visited businesses and made appearances of goodwill, and while I slept, Reaver negotiated with contractors, expressing his interest in building factories on a "nice little plot of land" he "stumbled upon" while wandering the desert.

"You must be eager to return home tomorrow," Kalin said.

"Yes," Reaver chipped in. "We have a wedding to plan, don't we, my dear?" He took my hand and brought it to is mouth. He hadn't done that in a while.

I smiled softly, and I nodded. "Yes. We do."

"I look forward to making the journey, Your Majesty," Kalin beamed. She seemed to think much more of Reaver now, as she didn't grimace when looking at him anymore. "I will bring the most fragrant flowers in all of Aurora for the occasion."

I nodded eagerly, and I saw Kent shifting back from foot to foot.

Kalin saw him as well. "Major Kent, are you excited to be returning to Albion? It has been a long time, has it not?"

"Yes," He said with a nod.

"And I hear that Her Majesty has asked you to become her new personal guard,"

He, once again, bobbed his head up and down. "Yes. It will be a great honor."

"I'm afraid that I must cut our visit short," Kalin told us, reluctantly. "I will have to arrange the proper tribute to Bo-An's honor soon enough. He still has family that needs to be informed."

* * *

I exhaled as I examined myself in the mirror. The rings of worry and sleeplessness had been erased from around my eyes, and all of the grime of the desert had been washed away. I wore one of the flowing, almost see-through gowns that Reaver liked so much. He had purchased one in every imaginable color, proclaiming that I would start a new fashion in Albion, but if it didn't take off, he would still very much enjoy seeing me wear them just for him.

I heard him enter the room, and I looked back over my shoulder to see him remove and toss his hat into a chair in the corner.

"I've been waiting to have you all to myself," He said, moving across the room in a few large steps. His hands tugged me to him, and our love-starved bodies touched.

My desire set in quickly, his mere closeness setting me ablaze. "You have me."

"Yes," He said his mouth inching toward mine. "I have been aching for you ever since we left. Even as I lay dying face down in the sand, I was fantasizing about your body and all of the miraculous things it can do to mine. Though, at one point I did fantasize about you and Major Kent rolling in the sand, kissing like mad, so perhaps my brain was a mite addled."

I inhaled to speak, but I wisely held my tongue.

He caressed me through the thin material, and he whispered. "You can't fathom how much I needed you...how I still need you." His mouth touched mine briefly. "I daresay, I will never let you out of my sight again."

I had no problem with that. I snaked my arms around him, and I caressed his lips with mine. "I promise that I won't put you through that again."

He sighed, stroking my face. His eyes were full of unspoken words. He kissed me again, this time deeper, and more hungry. His hands traced every curve they could reach, as if he were trying to commit them to memory.

I grasped him by his lapel, and I pulled him back toward the bed. He followed with matched enthusiasm, and he separated from my mouth to push me against the mattress, perhaps a little too hard. I heard the wood of the frame groan underneath the force. I just grinned and watched him hastily remove his jacket and vest. I slipped my arm around my neck, slowly untying the straps of the dress. Letting the material slide off of my skin. I pushed it teasingly off of my hips and revealed that I hadn't bothered wearing the tiny underclothes that usually accompanied the Auroran dresses.

He watched me intently, accidentally popping a button or two off of his shirt as he worked to remove it. When he was bare-chested, he decided he couldn't wait any longer, and he threw himself against me, our combined force effectively snapping the already strained support beneath the mattress into pieces. The mattress fell a few inches, eventually coming to rest much closer to the ground than it originally had, but it didn't give us any pause. He took my mouth once more, and his hands cupped my breasts, squeezing and enjoying.

I felt his legs moving, and I heard his shoes clatter to the ground. When he settled back against me, I could feel the steely readiness of his arousal pressing against my thigh.

I groaned, reaching between us to unbutton his pants a little too hastily. More of Reaver's buttons hit the ground. He was out of his pants in moments, and his grabby hands moved down to my womanhood, which was so very ready.

He pressed against me, and he entered slowly, gasping, "Ah...Lilyana."

The bare feel of him was so filling and needed. I moaned his name against his shoulder as he pushed himself as far inside of me as he could. I wrapped my arms around him, needing the closeness of him. I breathed in his scent, touched his skin, reveled in everything that I had worried that I would never experience again.

He took up a slow, thorough rhythm with his hips, his mouth drifting in a bath between my jawline and my neck, every so often, sweeping to give the other side attention. "Oh, love, you are _so_ deliciously wet."

I used a great deal of strength and speed to flip him onto his back on the bed, never breaking away from him.

A gasp of delight escaped him, and his eyes were alight with desire.

I moved my hips against him, and his hands grasped me firmly, driving me down roughly on top of him. A cry of pleasure left my lips, and I reached to trail my fingers down the taut sinew of his chest and stomach, digging my nails gently into his flesh as I neared my climax. Heat coursed through my body as the sensation built, and he sensed my closeness.

He bucked his hips upward, thrusting repeatedly into me from below, and I toppled over my edge, moaning and trembling on top of him. I crumbled forward, and Reaver sat up quickly to catch me, his mouth taking over mine.

My hips slowed, and I pressed my chest against his. I pulled from his mouth to catch my breath. "I love you."

He placed his smirking mouth against my neck. "I know you do."

"And?" I asked, rocking my hips.

He groaned. "You just love to hear me say it, don't you?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed into his shoulder as I nipped a trail to his ear.

"I love you," he said, driving into me from below. "I want you." He squeezed my rear, and his lips caressed my collarbone. "I need you...more than anything." I heard him gulp as he trailed his fingers up my back.

Satisfied with his answer, I leaned to explore his mouth with my tongue. Closing my eyes, I felt him shift, and my back was on the bed. A grunt of surprise escaped me, but I sank into the mattress, and I wrapped my legs tightly around his hips.

As our bodies slid against each other, I wasn't sure how much time passed. I was utterly lost in the sensation of being entwined with him.

Reaver moved steadily against me as some of the most carnal, desire-inspiring noises left him. He was nearing his completion. He slid his arms beneath me, clutching me tightly against his chest. A final cry of pleasure erupted from him as he emptied himself inside of me. His hips slowed, then eventually stopped. He let his body down gently to cover mine, being careful not to put too much weight on me. He didn't break the union of our flesh. He instead pressed a few slow, exhausted kisses against my cheek and neck.

"I could make love to you forever," He whispered, taking the lobe of my ear between his teeth. "There is simply not enough time..."

I moved my arms to wrap around his neck, and I squeezed him tightly. "You have me...for the rest of my life."

"Yes," He said softly. "I know." He looked away from me, and he withdrew, rolling back onto the bed.

I inched closer nuzzling against his chest, and I closed my eyes.

"You wouldn't consider it?" He asked.

"What?" I opened an eye.

"Spending the rest of my life with me," He said.

I closed my eyes again. "Reaver, I don't-"  
"Nevermind, love," He sighed, interrupting my words. "Just sleep for now."

* * *

When I woke the next morning, I surveyed the wreckage that used to be the bed. I blinked slowly, shaking my head, and I rolled onto my side to watch Reaver sleep. He looked almost angelic, but even in sleep, calling Reaver angelic was a stretch.

I sighed, observing him. He'd brought it up. The issue we'd been tiptoeing around since he'd put the ring on my finger. He may be able to spend the rest of my life with me, but I would die. Then he would be left alone once more. I exhaled. What he was suggesting was not something I'd ever considered, but I knew it wasn't something that I wanted to do. As much as I loved him, I couldn't sacrifice others just to be with him. If I were that type of person, Elliot would still be alive, Kent would be trapped in a cave with Sharreen, and I wasn't sure that I would be able to live with myself.

I gulped, trying to push the thoughts from my head. It wasn't something I wanted to think about anymore. I didn't want a seed of doubt to bloom when we had just gotten back to each other. I focused on his face again.

His beauty mark, despite all of the sweating and rubbing was still penciled in perfectly in the shape of a heart. I reached a finger out to touch it, possibly wipe it away, but his hand shot up before his eyes even opened, catching me effectively.

"Don't even try, my pet," He said. He took his beauty mark seriously, and I knew this. I just loved to torture his vanity. A smile settled across his lips as he brought my hand down to his mouth. He kissed the tip of my finger, then he bit down gently on it, as if to deter me from repeating my naughtiness.

"Good morning," I greeted him, yanking my finger out of his mouth.

"It would be if you weren't trying to sabotage my dashing good looks," He said, his eyes finally opening. He gazed over to me.

I smiled innocently.

"Are you ready to hit the open sea, my love?" He asked, his grin shifting to an evil one.

My stomach churned at the thought, and it must have shown on my face.

He laughed, and he sat up, looking around. "My...we have thoroughly murdered this bed, haven't we?"

I nodded.

"It clashed terribly with the paint on the walls," He said with a small shrug. He pushed off of the bed, his manhood standing fully erect.

I chewed on my lower lip.

"Now, don't give me that lip, darling. We've got things to do," He tutted. "Though, I suppose maybe just for a while..."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed! I had to throw some lemons and fluff in there since they'd been separated so long! Leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	10. Preparations

-Chapter Nine-

In the weeks that followed our return to Albion, Reaver and I were sucked into all of the work that comes with planning an affair such as a royal wedding. There were fabric samples and food and flowers and endless lists of people I didn't know that should be invited. It was absolutely dizzying. Part of me wished that we had run off and simply eloped, but Reaver wouldn't have stood for it.

"Why bother with getting married if we cannot make an occasion of it?" He said.

I could only cover my face with the overwhelming stress that came with everything.

"No, no, no," Reaver sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he paced across the room, a swatch of fabric in his hand. "This is taupe. What self-respecting bride wears taupe?" His hand twitched over his hip briefly, but he closed his eyes and breathed to steady himself. "It's an insult, honestly. Now find something more suitable for a Queen." His dark eyes flashed dangerously to the tailor, who was now cowering behind a desk covered in many more pieces of fabric.

The man nodded fearfully, and he leaped up from his seat and exited the room swiftly.

I glanced deliberately to Kent, who was holding back the laughter that was so apparent in his eyes. He shot me a short, stealthy grin, and he returned to going over the security for my very tight schedule in the coming weeks.

"Savages," Reaver sighed. "All of them." He flicked the offending swatch and it glided slowly to the ground.

"Perhaps we could find a more distinguished color," I said, standing to take his hand. "Perhaps an easier color to work with?"

He looked me over, and he thought for a moment. "You look so lovely in many different colors, darling, but I would not stand to have your dress clash with the flowers or the decorations."

I almost told him that I didn't care, that I would get married naked and be happy, but I then realized that if he knew that was an option, he'd pursue it. "What about purple?"  
He raised a brow. "Hmmm...purple could be promising. Lilac for your gown, of course, and perhaps something darker for my vest?" He nodded, and he was instantly sucked into the idea, scampering off to dig through the swatches covering the desk. "Yes, yes. Purple is regal and goes lovely with your skin color..." His words trailed off as he started murmuring to himself about coordination and possible choices for flowers.

I moved to sit back down, the a deep fatigue I'd been experiencing in the past weeks setting in once more. I attributed it to stress. Everything had moved by so quickly since returning from Aurora that everything was a great blur.

"Your Majesty," Kent said, suddenly standing before me.

I looked up to him, raising my eyebrows.

"You have court in less than a half-hour," he reminded me, but he looked me over. "Are you alright? You look exhausted."

I nodded, and I covered my mouth as a yawn left me. "Yes, Kent. I'm fine. Someone's been keeping me up all night asking what type of cocktails we should serve after the wedding."

Kent snorted softly.

"If we don't plan such things now, our guests will be left standing around with empty glasses! How is that acceptable?" Reaver exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest, curling a brow at me. He sighed and threw up a hand in a gesture that very much stated 'Oh, you just don't understand at all, do you?'

Kent offered me a hand, and I rose, yawning once more.

"Oh, darling," Reaver said, coming to take me in his arms. "I do hope you mind if I skip court today. I'm absolutely swamped with these preparations. If we are to have a spring affair, it must be planned expeditiously. Six weeks is _not_ a lot of time to plan such things."

I sighed. "No one said it had to be in six weeks."

"I said it had to be in six weeks," Reaver said. "The invitations have been sent, and there's nothing you can do about it now." He bopped me on the nose with a gloved finger before leaning in to kiss my lips.

I knew that there was no use in arguing with him. He seemed to be perfectly content tangled in the preparations, and who was I to stop him. I slipped my arms around him, and I gave him another soft kiss. "We could do blue, as well."

His eyebrows raised. "Hmmm...that is an interesting option. I shall consider it."

* * *

When court came to an end, I saw that Page was standing along the crowd, seeming to wait for me. When she saw that I'd found her, she smiled warmly and waved. I rose from my place on the throne, and Kent escorted me across the room to meet her.

"Your Majesty," She said, her smile still on her face.

I was glad that she seemed to have pushed past the awkwardness that our last encounter had brought between us. "Hello, Page," I replied.

"Congratulations are in order, I suppose," She said, her eyes finding the ring on my hand.

I merely smiled.

"You are truly happy with him, then?" She asked.

I nodded softly. "Yes."

She sighed, but she then said, "I need to ask you a question."

"Yes?" I asked.

"Can we speak somewhere more privately?" Page asked.

I glanced to Kent, and he looked a little severe, having never met Page before.

"He can come," Page said, looking him over. "I just wanted to get away from all of these other people."  
I led Page upstairs to my study.

"So you're her new guard?" Paged asked, glancing Kent over.

"Yes," Kent replied. "And you? How do you know Her Majesty?"

I looked over to him. He looked skeptical, cautious, and I wondered why.

"We worked together in The Resistance," Page said. "We've known each other a long time."

Kent nodded, though he didn't look satisfied. He watched her with a speculative eye.

As we entered my study, Kent closed the door behind us, and he stood at the door, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What did you need?" I asked, turning to face her.

"I wanted to ask what happened in Aurora," She said. "I'd heard rumors...but no one knows anything for sure."

"Aurora was..complicated," I said, looking up to Kent. "We escaped unscathed."

"Is it true that Reaver nearly died in the desert?" She raised her eyebrows. "That sounds unlike him."

"Well, yes, but he was hardly helpless," I said. "Anyone would die in the desert wandering for days on end without water or food."

"Where were you when this was happening?" She asked.

I chewed on my lip.

"The Queen saved my life," Kent said. "She pulled me out of a burning building and got me to safety. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find Reaver until days later."

Page's face shifted and she seemed unsatisfied with his answer, but she blinked a few times before saying, "I also wanted to ask if I could borrow a few things."

This was strange. I raised a brow.

"Your library is far more extensive than mine," She explained. "I have a few books that I've been interested in reading, and I thought that you might have a few of them."

"Sure," I said.

She handed me a list. It had a few different geography books, old heroes tales, and a few books about my father. It seemed to be a pretty standard list, and I nodded. "I've got these," I affirmed.

"I knew you would," She chuckled.

* * *

Reaver was in the garden, but now he was choosing china-patterns for the reception dinner. A servant held each different style of dinnerware in an outstretched hand, and Reaver paced down the line, and he suddenly pointed to one of the servants, and they tossed the plate in the air before breaking into a terrified run. Reaver shot it out of the sky.

I rushed up to him, and I grabbed his arm, "What are you doing?"

He shrugged lightly. "It was too plain."

I rolled my eyes. "Can you pick them without terrorizing my servants?"

He poked his lower lip out at me, and he twirled the Dragonstomper on his finger before stowing it away. He waved a hand at the servants, and he sighed, "You may go."  
They ran off, leaving the china on the ground where they stood.

He turned to face me, and he smiled, pressing a kiss against my cheek. "What brings you to the gardens, my love?"

"Apparently I need to keep an eye on you," I said, frowning at him.

"Oh, they weren't in any danger," He said, rolling his eyes, sweeping the hair out of my face. "Though, I can think of a few ways you can punish me, if you like." His eyes lit up as he leaned in to nip gently at the side of my neck.

Kent cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, I am going to...go somewhere and do something."

"Yes, yes," Reaver said. "Go on, my friend. I can take her from here."

"Well, goodbye," Kent said as he stiffly nodded in our direction, and he walked off.

Reaver just laughed.

"What?" I cocked a brow at him.

"That boy is carrying a mighty torch for you," He told me.

"And you don't feel at all threatened by that?" I questioned.

"Not at all," he said, wrapping an arm around me and guiding me inside. "If he'd wanted to steal you away, he would have done it when you were vulnerable and alone in the desert. And if he was able to control himself after you assaulted him with that talented mouth of yours..."

I gulped. "You knew about that?"

He chuckled. "Kent brought it upon himself to do the gentlemanly thing and tell me. The boy got _ever_-so flushed."

I covered my face. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, love," He said. "You were under the dark influence of that amulet...weren't you?"

"Yes," I said quickly.

"Well, then," He said, pressing a kiss against my forehead. "Now, if you ever wanted to...shall we say...take a bite out of another apple, you'd be more than welcome to. As long as I'm a participant."

My cheeks flushed heavily now. "Reaver, don't be ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous," He said. "But I see that I've made you blush, so I will drop the issue." His grin was set firmly on his mouth.

I shook my head gently, clearing my mind. "I came to find you because I thought that maybe you'd want to...go write some letters."

"Letter writing? In the middle of the day?" He asked, pretending to be scandalized.

I grinned.

"Who am I to refuse The Queen?" He asked, bending to lift me into his arms and carry me into the nearest vacant room, not particularly caring for the staring of the servants in the vicinity.

* * *

Logan entered the study, where I sat reading. I was surprised to see him, as Reaver had informed me that he'd planned to take Logan and Kent to a tavern. He'd said that he was taking 'his fellows to get their wicks dipped'. I hadn't wanted that particular piece of information divulged, but it was Reaver, after all.

"You decided not to go with Reaver?" I asked, raising a brow.

He made a sour face. "No, I will not be going."

"Not in the mood for drinking?" I asked.

"It wasn't drinking that Reaver had intended for me to do," Logan said with a roll of his eyes. "I swear. Sometimes I don't know what you see in him."

"Maybe you just haven't seen what I've seen," I said, and I was smirking.

His face reddened. "That is...just.." He shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"Perhaps he's just trying to help you...er...socialize," I put out. "You are getting quite old. I think I see some white hairs." I giggled.

He ran a hand over his hair. "If I wanted to socialize, I wouldn't be doing it with the types of women that Reaver-"

I cocked a brow, and Logan knew he was treading into dangerous territory.

He decided to amend his words. "Women who frequent taverns."

I sat, just listening.

"Nonetheless," He sighed. "People still haven't forgiven me, sister. No one wants to drink and be merry with the former king who lost his mind and almost plunged Albion into eternal darkness."

I exhaled. "The people can move on. Surely, not everyone hates you."

He merely shrugged.

"I'm not going to sit here and make you feel better about yourself," I said. "You're a grown man, and it's time you started acting like one." I gave him an all-too-serious face, but then I couldn't hold it. I laughed.

He cracked a smile.


	11. Lucky, Indeed

-Chapter 10-

The Cock in the Crown was full of people already more than drunk, and Reaver and Kent were among them. Reaver had consumed at least three times more alcohol than Kent had, yet his eye was still keen enough to clear some of the bar's patron's pockets of their gold in games of darts.

Reaver tossed his weighty purse and caught it before depositing it in his pocket with a smirk of absolute glee. He leaned heavily on Kent as they moved back to their table, and Reaver slumped into his seat, laughing.

"You are not quite the stick-in-the-mud I thought you were," Reaver remarked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're just saying that because you've got all my gold in your pocket," Kent chuckled, wiping a light dew of sweat from his forehead.

"Well, that does enhance my mood exponentially," Reaver drawled leaning in and nudging him.

Kent sighed, and he picked up the pint that had been promptly placed before him by an especially flirtatious waitress. As she sauntered away, she gave Kent another wide smile.

Reaver watched the whole scene, and he decided that he had to comment. "My, my. _Someone's_ got an admirer." He could understand why the waitress had been looking at him, as he had looked himself many times. His jawline was squared, yet still soft, and his cheekbones were high and to die for. He had lines on his face, yes, but they were from smiling and laughing, with only a few worry lines. His smile was wide and genuine, almost shark-like, and the pirate in Reaver loved that. Though, the most handsome part of his face was undoubtedly his eyes. The soft sky blue that were swirled with an almost silver. They were definitely alluring.

Those alluring eyes flickered to the bar, where the waitress was still shooting him flirtatious glances. He shrugged lightly, shaking his head a little.

Reaver was intrigued. He arched an inquisitive brow and leaned forward. "Now, do tell me what_ that_ was all about."

With a sigh, Kent nodded. "I was married, before I went to Aurora." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back into his seat. "My wife got tangled up with the wrong people...and she was hung as a traitor."

Reaver's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he tilted his head, telling him to go on.

"She was a seamstress, and she helped a lot of the revolutionists patch up their clothes after a scuffle. Then one of them came to her, asking for her help, and she helped." Kent frowned. "As a solder in the King's Army...it was hard when she was caught. Nearly lost my job, my house, and I did lose my wife. I was so angry with her, and I was so angry with the people that led her down that path." He scratched his chin a little bit and stared down into the frothy surface of his ale. "I haven't..er..attempted to be with another woman since."

There was a silence hanging in the air as the two men finished their drinks.

"I daresay we both need a few more drinks," Reaver suggested, waving over a different waitress. "Something a little stronger."

The more drinks Reaver and Kent consumed, the more they talked, and eventually laughed.

"So, that's when Logan decided that he needed to defend Lilyana's honor, and he sent an impressive right hook into my beautiful money-maker," Reaver chuckled, rubbing his jaw and smiling.

Kent was leaned on the table, his elbows propping him up, and he shook his head, his face red from laughter. "Who hits harder? Lily or Logan?"

"Lily, undoubtedly." He snorted. "That was probably the most exquisite pain I've ever experienced!"

Kent nodded, and he jokingly said, "I haven't had the pleasure."

"Just sass her a little bit," Reaver instructed with a smirk. "It has never failed me."

Kent merely shook with laughter.

"Now, Kent," Reaver said, idly wiping the rim of the glass of his scotch, and bringing his eyes up to Kent's. "You've been around Lily quite a bit lately, and-"  
"You don't have to worry about that," Kent interjected. "I would never-"

"Oh?" Reaver asked. "You see, I can understand, even appreciate the interest one might have in Lily. She is...quite the extraordinary creature."

Kent nodded. "She truly is."

"You got to know her quite well in Aurora, undoubtedly," Reaver said. "I lost count of the days out there in the sand, but it was quite a stretch."

Kent just laughed softly to himself, and he shook his head. "I requested to head the unit that escorted her to Teroh's."

"Oh? Had a little crush before she came to the desert, did you?"

"She's the woman who restored my faith in the world," Kent said. "She, just by being who she is, restored my belief in the monarchy. When she didn't abandon Aurora, when she stuck her neck out to protect people that another monarch wouldn't consider 'theirs,' I couldn't help but..." He paused, shaking his head. "She's an incredible woman."

Reaver nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "That, she is, my friend."

Kent said. "I mean, you were lucky enough to meet her first, I suppose." He shrugged softly. "She loves you. It was written all over her face the whole time we were in Aurora. I would never try to..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "You're lucky to have her."  
"Lucky, indeed."

The pair left the pub after many more drinks, and Reaver sagged dependently against Kent's frame, though that didn't damper Reaver's mood. He smiled and laughed and joked all the way back to castle, and a few times Kent swore he felt a swift, stealthy pinch to his backside. He could only chuckle softly. If Lilyana could endure it, he supposed he could, too. Reaver wasn't as bad as people made him out to be. He put on a heavy facade, and Kent now understood that he was human, just as he was. He wasn't just a cruel business tycoon with gears and levers in the place of a heart. He was a man that Kent could respect.

Getting into the castle proved a different challenge. While they could simply walk through the front gate, doing so would also show that The Queen's personal bodyguard and the Queen's fiancee were out and away from her, completely plastered. He decided to lead them down a service entrance around the eastern side of the palace because he'd made friends with the guards that worked there at this time of night.

"Good night, Kent?" asked a jolly older guard, his grin spreading from cheek to cheek.

"Pretty good," Kent said, his speech a little more slurred than he'd expected. He chuckled and he continued to carry Reaver inside.

* * *

I exhaled softly. I had perhaps indulged in one too many drinks as I involved myself fully in this book. I couldn't read anymore, and I closed the book, tossing it onto the table. I exhaled, glancing to the door. I wondered when Reaver would come stumbling through the door, anticipated it even. I was feeling rather amorous after the numerous brandies I'd had, and I knew I could always count on Reaver to be in a generous mood when it came to love-making.

I removed my robe, and I tossed it into the corner, missing my mark completely. I shrugged, and I slid into the bed, turning onto my stomach. I was hoping that Reaver would come home before I passed out, but I could barely hold my eyes open.

I hugged the pillow tightly to me, and I licked my lips gently. I wondered what Kent and Reaver could possibly be doing together, for so long. My mind drifted to places that it probably should not have. Knowing Reaver's tastes, it was all too possible that Reaver was somewhere convincing Kent to experiment.

I rolled to my back, the thought stirring an unexpected arousal. I pushed the thought from my mind, and I closed my eyes, trying to sleep again.

I stirred gently from my sleep, feeling Reaver's lips caressing the back of my neck, and his hands running firmly over my body. He smelled heavily of liquor, but his hands moved with a precise articulation. I put one of my hands over his, and I whispered, "You're a little late, love."

"Mmm," He hummed. "What _were _you dreaming about, darling? When I came through the door, you were moaning and sighing, and I had to throw down the covers to make sure that you were all alone." He lathed his tongue against my jumping pulse. "Though, I do love to hear you moan my name in your sleep." His hands pushed my nightgown up over my hips, and he found my hot, ready sex.

Tutting softly, he pressed his body tighter against me, and I realized that he had stripped completely nude before getting into bed, and he, too was completely ready for me. He pressed himself to enter me from behind, and I stopped him, clenching my thighs tightly.

Ever since our few incidents in Aurora, I had been very paranoid about pregnancy. We weren't yet married, and I still wasn't sure if Reaver even wanted to have children with me. "Aren't we forgetting something?" I asked him, turning to look at him over my shoulder.

He heaved a breath, and he kissed my neck gently. "You aren't going to make me wear one of those dreadful things, are you?" He pressed tighter.

"You used to be such an avid advocate," I sighed. "What happened to that?"

"You let me feel you _completely_," He breathed, stroking his fingertips across my lower lips. "I promise, darling, you won't regret it once I'm inside of you."

His voice melted me, causing my body to ache, telling me to give in. I leaned tighter against him, and I loosened my legs. He was inside of me within moments, and he groaned loudly, tugging my hair to adjust my head. He leaned in and whispered, "What were you dreaming about?" His thrusts were deep and slow and absolutely melted me from the inside out.

I chewed on my lip. "Nothing."

"Oh, don't you lie to me, you little minx," He breathed huskily. He reached to pinch my nipple gently. "Tell me the truth."

I shook my head, and I grinned. "Nope."

He withdrew, and he flipped me quickly onto my back. He entered me again, a little harder. His hands pinned my arms to the bed above my head, and his eyes glinted playfully. "I'm sure I can get it out of you somehow."

"You can _try_."  
He took that as a personal challenge of his skill, and Reaver never lost a challenge of skill. He thrust deeply inside of me, and his mouth worked at the most sensitive part of my throat. "Come now, darling, tell me. I might be able to make it come true."

I somehow doubted that he'd be willing to share me with anyone else. I shook my head, but I leaned forward, putting my mouth against his ear. "I want you to make me forget about anything else but you inside of me."

Who was he to refuse? He chuckled, and he nodded. "That is something I can arrange."

* * *

The next morning, I was hungover and sore all over. I'd been twisted in ways that I hadn't thought possible. I groaned, and I saw that Reaver was awake, watching me. He looked as if he had rested peacefully and hadn't been up until sunrise making me writhe and scream.

He grinned, "I sent away anyone that tried to disturb you. I told them you were dreadfully ill." He then chuckled. "One of your handmaidens agreed, saying that she'd heard your groaning in the night."

I did, indeed, feel terrible. He moved behind me and pulled me to lean against his chest. He rubbed my shoulders gently, and he kissed the side of my face.

"My shoulders aren't what's sore," I told him with a soft laugh.

"Oh? I could massage _that_ for you instead." He offered.

I shook my head. "I might split in half if you attempted anything right now."

"I can't have that happening," He sighed. "I would never be satisfied with just half of you."

I closed my eyes, and I felt his hands move down to rub and caress my stomach, which was growling with faint hunger. I didn't want to move.

"Mm..." He said. "Though, I might be fine with two halves." He kissed my neck..

I sat up, then I instantly regretted it. I climbed out of the bed, taking the covers with me.

He pursed his lips together. "You're not being very cheerful this morning."

"I'm sore and hungover and exhausted," I whined, sitting on the edge of the bed. "And you're laying there, having done a great deal of last night's work, and you're brighter than sunshine."

"Well, that's just one of my charming attributes that you really should enjoy," He informed me. "Just imagine our wedding night." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"It would be made even better by anticipation," I said.

He laughed. "You can't be serious. That's _weeks_ away."

I raised a brow at him.

His mouth fell open, as if I'd just threatened to kick him.

"You don't think you can do it?" I challenged him.

His jaw tightened, and he said, "What do you think I am? A mindless sex-crazed animal?"  
Once again, I cocked a brow.

"And what do I get if I am able to do it?" He asked, the business man in him springing into action.

"I think you shall just have to be patient, my love," I said, using the charm I'd learned from him. I grinned a flawless Reaver-smirk. I knew that the surprise would make it impossible for him to refuse. "But I guarantee that it will be something you've wanted for quite some time."

"Oh, you wretched woman," He groaned, put out.

**A/N: Reaver didn't get to find out what Lilyana dreamed of, but YOU can! -wink- Go and read "Nightcap" if you so desire! As always, your reviews are so greatly appreciated. If you take the time to read and enjoy, please also take a few moments to leave me your thoughts!**


	12. With This Ring

-Chapter Eleven-

In the weeks before the wedding, the staff had all noticed a drastic change in Reaver's temperament. There were shots fired, servants threatened, and many cigarettes smoked. One maid had claimed she'd seen Reaver smoking two cigarettes at once with a glass of brandy in the other hand, though that might have been an exaggeration.

The little agreement that Reaver had made with Lilyana had been hard on everyone. Reaver had been moved to a different room in the castle, and Kent was stationed outside of her door to keep him away. On many nights, Reaver had tried to sneak up on Kent as he snacked on an apple or some popcorn, but Kent simply would glance up to him and tell him no, sending him away as quickly as he came.

As it was, Reaver paced back and forth in the room with a speed that was dizzying to Major Kent, smoking a cigarette, ranting about one thing or another. He blinked slightly. Perhaps it was just the nerves. The wedding would take place in less than two hours.

"And, the cut of my coat is _all_ wrong, but there's hardly time to fix it now, is there?" Reaver fumed, tossing the butt of his cigarette out the open window and immediately lighting another. "I can only imagine how her dress turned out. I thought I hired tailors, not bloody barbarians using crude hand-tools!"

Kent couldn't help but laugh at that. He covered his mouth, and he fixed himself in the fine clothing that Reaver had stuffed him into. He crossed his arms over his chest, and he shrugged. He observed the blue coat. It was piped in gold, and had very fine tails. "I think it looks fine."

"You would," Reaver said, sardonically, raising a brow. "You're wearing a brown belt, when I specifically requested for you to wear black." His eyes narrowed.

"Er...I can change it?" Kent offered, grimacing a little.

"Don't bother." Reaver threw back a glass of scotch in one large gulp. He finally stopped pacing, instead plopping down in to a wingback chair. He motioned for Kent to take a seat in front of him.

Kent obeyed, drawing the chair closer for easier conversation. He sat, and he relaxed. The clothes were terribly uncomfortable, but he'd endure it.

"So, I've just realized," Reaver started, tenting his fingertips together. "You are about to be one of the men standing at my side at a wedding I honestly thought I'd never have, and yet...I do not know your name. Your surname, yes of course, but not your first name."

Kent chuckled, and he shook his head. "I haven't told you. That's why you don't know it."

"Well?"  
Exhaling, Kent gave in. "It's Percy."

Reaver choked on the smoke he was inhaling. "Percy?"

"Yes..." He covered his reddening face for a moment, and he looked at Reaver. "You know, I'm about to be one of the men standing at your side at your wedding, and I don't know _your_ name."

Reaver took a drag off of his cigarette with a smirk. As he exhaled, he said, "It's not Percy."

Both men laughed, and Reaver had to wipe at his tearing eye, careful not to smudge his expertly penciled-in beauty mark.

"You know, you're not what people make you out to be," Kent said.

"I'm sometimes very much what people make me out to be," Reaver retorted, flicking his ashes into an ashtray.

"You like people to think that, don't you?" asked Kent. He leaned back into his chair, raising his eyebrows.

Reaver only gave him a look, and he stood. "Come, I think we need a few more drinks before we traipse down the aisle waiting for Lilyana."

Kent took that major hint to drop the subject, and he stood, following Reaver over to grab a drink from him. He raised his glass, to toast, and he said, "To Reaver, who is a very lucky man."

"I suppose we _could_ drink to that, but I'd much prefer to do the toasting," Reaver said. He raised his glass, and he grinned. "To Percy! Who is truly my best man of the day!"  
Kent's face reddened again, but they clinked their glasses together before draining them.

The door opened, and Logan came stepping in, adjusting his cuffs. He closed the door behind him and stepped over to accept the drink that Reaver quickly made for him.

"How does she look?" Reaver asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did the tailors butcher her dress as they have my coat?"

Logan's eyes got far off for a moment and he smiled. "She looks...more beautiful than I could have ever imagined."

Reaver merely smiled. "You know, Logan, my friend, I have invited a woman that I think will absolutely tickle your fancy."

"Oh really?" Logan asked, tilted his head. "Am I required to pay her once she's finished 'tickling my fancy'?'"

Kent guffawed and Reaver smirked.

"No, brother, but perhaps you might scare her away with your constant melodrama," Reaver noted. "The poor Lady Angela would certainly run far, far away from a man whose face is always so sour."

"Lady Angela?" Logan asked. "I don't know who that is."

"Lady Angela Snow," Reaver said. "A former business partner of mine. She donated generously to the war with The Darkness, and Lilyana gave her land and a title in gratitude." He swirled his drink before taking a sip. "She hails from Brightwall, actually, or just outside of it. Lovely estate."

"Ah...well," Logan took a sip of his drink, not finishing his thought.

"Can I just take a moment to say how incredibly grateful I am that today has finally arrived?" Reaver sighed, swirling his drink a little more.

"Is it because of the wedding? Or because Lily's been withholding sex?" Kent asked.

Logan's drink spewed everywhere, and he coughed violently. Reaver went to grab him and assist him, but Logan pushed him away, his eyes slashing angrily.

"Can we just not mention sex with my sister _please?" _Logan requested.

"Ah, then I fear we will run out of things to talk about, for it is one of my favorite subjects," Reaver came back.

Kent instinctively stepped between the pair. He'd hate to see Lilyana marry a man with a black eye or broken teeth. "Okay, boys. Calm down."

Reaver reined in his laughter, and Logan straightened up, a sour look still on his face.

"Maybe I'll set Kent up with Lady Angela," Reaver offered. "At least he laughs at my jokes."

* * *

I hadn't been able to sit down for the past hour. My dress was far too massive to maneuver in other than to walk. I could barely even turn, but it was absolutely exquisite. Reaver hadn't let me see what the dress would look like before, and now that it was on, I was absolutely stunned. It was made of layers of fine white silk, and embroidered heavily in gilt thread. It was off the shoulders, which I usually wouldn't have chosen for myself, but it was still the most lovely dress I'd ever worn.

I remembered that when I was young, my father would always tease me that I'd be too tall and thin to look proper in a wedding dress. He'd said that I'd be an adventurer like him, and he was right. I had been, but he hadn't been there to see it happen. I was sad for that, as I was sad that he wouldn't be here to walk me down the aisle. I glanced out to the mausoleum, and I sighed, wiping a falling tear away.

Though, I couldn't say how pleased he would be with the man I had chosen for myself. I was pretty sure he'd despised Reaver. He had all but erased him from the history of Albion, yet here he was, about to become Prince-Consort to The Queen. Though, would my father have said no after all Reaver and I have been through? He'd saved my life more times than anyone else ever had, yet he did also put it in danger more than anyone else ever had.

I sighed, adjusting he long delicate veil that had been crafted specifically to go with this dress. It hung daintily from a golden tiara with blue and white stones. It was truly dazzling. Reaver had gone out of his way to plan everything perfectly, and I certainly appreciated it. I wouldn't have been able to do anything to this caliber.

Though, I know that part of the reason he'd thrown himself so far into the planning was the frustration that stemmed from our little deal. I smirked softly to myself, knowing that as soon as Reaver and I were alone, I would be in for it. He had even gone away on business for the last few days before the wedding, so we hadn't seen hide nor hair of each other for a good while. Even I was feeling the tension and frustration building, now. I chewed on my lip, smiling at the mirror once more.

"You look beautiful, you know," said Page from behind.

I hadn't even known that she was here. I turned the best I could, and I saw her in the mirror. She was wearing a burnt orange dress, purposefully clashing with Reaver's theme of blue, red, and gold.

"Thank you," I said, following her as she stepped around to meet me face to face.

She offered me a soft smile, and her eyes drifted over me once more. "Anyone would be lucky to see you coming down the aisle toward them."

"But not Reaver?" I asked.

"I don't approve, no," She said simply, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You don't approve of me being happy?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "Because he makes me happy, Page."

She said nothing to this, but she changed the subject. "Thank you for letting me borrow those books so long ago. They were very informative. I learned a great deal."

I nodded gently. "It wasn't a problem."

"I had...better be going," She said, looking as if she wanted to say more. "...Congratulations." She turned away and left without letting me even say "Thank you."

When Logan came to retrieve me, the panic had set in. I was almost halfway tempted to jump out the window to escape. The generous skirts of my dress would surely break the fall. If only we had eloped. Logan almost seemed a little amused with my behavior.

"You know, there _is_ always time to call it off," Logan suggested.

I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster, and I reached for a glass of water, which Logan moved to hand me. I drained it, and I regretted it. I could only pray to The Light that nature would not be calling me while I wore this massive dress.

He took my hands in his and he offered a smile. "You will be fine."

I exhaled. "Even Page came to try to talk me out of it."

"If you really want this, then no one should be able to stop you," Logan said. He laughed lightly. "You're not the type to give a damn about what people think."

I smiled gently, and I nodded. "Alright. You've talked me into it."

"Good," Logan said. "Reaver was only just screeching about how everything was going wrong, and I don't know if he could handle it if something actually did go wrong."

"I've still got to fit in the carriage in this dress," I said, my eyes widening.

Logan glanced about me, and he made a small face of confusion. "That _will_ be a task..."

* * *

"Deep breaths," I whispered to myself as Logan and I faced the closed doors, leading into the main chamber of the large temple. Father had constructed this Temple of Light in Bowerstone, but it was mainly used for ceremony, now, the people usually choosing to go to smaller temples or nowhere at all. I kept trying to think of things other than what was about to happen. I felt sick to my stomach. I needed a glass of water, but the time for that had passed.

Logan reached over to move my veil into place, giving me a smile, his eyes watering a little.

Joy and excitement pulsed through me, also causing my eyes to fill, but I tried to hold the tears back. I didn't want to be a sobbing mess all the way down the aisle. I straightened, and the doors were opened.

The temple was decorated in blue and gold tapestries and the aisle was carpeted in a rich red carpet, sprinkled lightly with white rose petals. I peered down the length of it to find Reaver standing, waiting. That top hat of his perched so proudly on his head. My heart fluttered. It had been one thing for him to say that he would be there waiting for me, but seeing it was moving. A man that had been a perpetual bachelor for decades, centuries...he was there. Waiting for me. Only me.

My tears started again, but they fell down my cheeks now. The gentle music of the lute and other accompaniment played an elegant march, and Logan and I made our way down the path of rose petals.

My eyes were fixed on Reaver, as his were on me. We were the only two people that mattered. I drew in a shaky breath, and as we drew closer, the knot in my stomach loosened and was replaced with relief. I was relieved to be here. I was relieved that things had gone this way for us. After all we'd been through, it only seemed right that we would get happiness.

We stopped before the alter and Logan turned to move the veil from over my face. He leaned in and gave me a tender kiss on my cheek before offering a smile. He looked towards Reaver's outstretched hand, and he placed mine in his.

I stepped up and faced Reaver, and I glanced up to really look at him now. His grin was from cheek to cheek, showing his perfect teeth, and he took both of my hands in mine. His eyebrows raised, as if to say "I missed you."

I tilted my head, still smiling, still crying.

"We have gathered here on this most momentous day to join these two people in holy matrimony," The Abbot said. "Queen Lilyana of Albion and her most beloved Reaver."

I smirked, knowing that Reaver had asked the Abbot to throw that in there.

The Abbot continued. "Lilyana, Reaver, today you enter as individuals, but you will leave here as husband and wife, blending your lives, expanding your family ties, and embarking upon the grandest adventure of human interaction. The story of your life together is still yours to write. All those present have come to witness and celebrate your love and commitment this day - eager to be a part of the story not yet told. "

I could feel my lip trembling even as I smiled. I couldn't stop it, I was just so inexplicably happy.

"Now, I believe that you have prepared your own vows," He continued, glancing between the two of us.

Reaver was to go first. He exhaled as he looked around. He returned his gaze to me and a small smirk crept across his face. "The very moment I met you, I knew that you were quite a different creature than most other women. You were unattainable. ..That irritated me to no end." He paused glancing away for a moment, almost amused. "Then you swept into the throne and swept my feet from underneath me, opposing nearly everything I suggested. That infuriated me. Then suddenly, out of no where, I loved you, and I couldn't stop thinking about you. I still can't stop thinking about you." He brought my hands to his mouth to kiss them gently He took a breath, and then he finished, "The rest of our lives could never be long enough. I want to spend every moment knowing that you are here and that you love me, as I love you."

My tears were falling in droves now, but it was now my turn. I had written long, eloquent vows that appropriately summed up the way I felt, but they were gone from my mind now. Reaver's eyes caught mine, and he gave me a soft, playful smirk. I blinked, and I inhaled, deciding that I needed to speak before he thought I would tear off back down the aisle. "I remember the very first time we met, you put a Dragonstomper in my hand, and you showed me how to use it." I glanced up to him, smiling. "And as we continued on in life, you taught me so many other things. You taught me that I didn't have to sacrifice what made me happy to make others happy. You pulled me out of a hole I hadn't realized I was in. I hadn't been happy in a very long time. I was still stuck in darkness, but you...you lit me up." I blinked away a few tears, and he squeezed my hands so gently. "I never knew that day in the garden, that I would one day be so profoundly in love with you."

Reaver took one hand from mine to clear the tears from my face, but it was a lost cause. I couldn't stop.

The Abbot spoke of The Light for a good deal, but I hardly paid attention. I was more focused on the drumming of my heart in my chest and the way Reaver caressed the tops of my hands.

Finally, The Abbot finished his long readings, and he smiled. "The ring is a symbol for the never-ending bond between husband and wife. It has no beginning, no end. Have you rings to symbolize your eternal bond?"

Reaver glanced to Kent, who had been tasked with holding onto them, and Kent patted his pockets, suddenly looking panicked. Reaver's face flipped from joy to rage in an instant. Kent quickly produced the rings, offering a sharky grin, and Reaver huffed, taking them hastily from him.

The Abbot took them, saying the traditional blessing over them, and he handed the ring intended for me, to Reaver.

He repeated after The Abbot, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands." He slid the dainty gold band onto my finger, and his lips turned up into a soft smile.

When the ring for Reaver was placed in my hands, I licked my lips slightly. I glanced up to him. "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands."

The Abbot took the wide white sash from the alter behind him, and he wrapped our hands in it loosely. "By the glow of The holy Light, I pronounce you husband and wife, partners in all things, and eternal companions." He poured a little bit of water from a sacred well across the ribbon, and he removed it. He glanced to Reaver. "You may kiss the bride."

Reaver leaned in and kissed me with such force that his hat came tumbling off of his head. He caught it skillfully, and he put it back on his head, holding it on as he tilted me backwards.

As he set me back on my feet, I suddenly became aware of the cheering crowd and the music coming to a crescendo. We parted only for a moment to face the crowd. The applause was nearly deafening.

We stepped down from the altar, and Reaver placed my arm in his. We walked slowly down the aisle, and everyone watched in awe to see The Queen and her new consort.

**A/N: Don't we all love a little happy sometimes? Yay! Reviews are appreciated!**


	13. Anticipation

-Chapter Twelve-

Reaver and I exited the carriage, and I was immediately escorted away for a change of dress before the reception. Reaver had insisted to come along, remarking that we were now married and all bets were off, but I denied him. We were on a tight schedule until the reception was underway. I couldn't let myself get swindled into a tryst that might go on for hours. Heat burned in my cheeks at the thought.

My dress for the reception was much less bulky, and I was eternally grateful for that. It was made of a champagne-colored silk, but with a blue sash around my narrow waist. The material was much easier to move in, and it would look very nice during the numerous dances I knew I would have to endure. I even let my hair down from the veil and opted for a simpler tiara.

Once some fresh flowers had been stuck into my hair, I found that Reaver had, in fact, made his way to me in my dressing room. He had also changed clothes, but he was still in gold and blue. He crossed the room, dismissing everyone else in it.

Once the last of the servants had filed out, he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me from my feet. His mouth was on mine desperately, but only for a moment. He moved to whisper, "Darling, I promise I can be quick when I want to."

My heart thudded against my ribs. I gulped, and I shook my head. "Every time you say that to me, I'm late for court, or I don't get any sleep."

"Well, this is _our_ wedding reception. We should be able to arrive whenever we please." He kissed my neck, still holding me, pressing my body so tight against his.

I groaned, and I kissed him softly. "You must only be a little more patient."

"Patience is not usually a virtue of mine," He said. "But I've been waiting for a very long time."

"Later," I whispered. "You'll have your surprise."

He raised his eyebrows, almost intrigued. "A surprise, you say?"

"Mmm," I hummed in reply. "Something you told me you wanted a long time ago."

"Being a generally selfish man, there are many things that I have wanted," He told me, letting me down to my feet. "So I'm interested to find out what you've planned to surprise me."

I offered him a sly smirk, and I sighed, "I suppose you will just have to wait."  
His face reddened slightly with exasperation, but he took my arm and said, "Then I suppose we had better go."

* * *

"Presenting The Queen Lilyana of Albion and Reaver, Duke of Millfields and Prince-Consort for their first dance as husband and wife," The herald said.

We moved onto the dance-floor. Reaver had told me that he was eager for our first dance, reminding me that our romance had started with a dance. I remembered the exchange well. I smirked as he twirled me into his arms as the song started. My dress flared out, and he brought me back into his arms.

He held me with a ferocious tightness, his eyes finding mine to express just how frustrated he was with me. His grip tightened on my hand as I accidentally brushed against his groin in the dance, but he just continued smiling, our eyes having a silent conversation of their own.

I tilted my head, giving him the perfect view of one of his favorite places to nibble, and he tapped me on the toe, a warning. I wet my lips, and I smiled warmly up to him. I moved my hand from his shoulder to the place over his heart, and I, once again, displayed my neck, craving his reaction.

He turned us abruptly, and his knee moved between my legs, only for the briefest of moments to give me the tiniest, yet most satisfying twinges of pleasurable friction. He tipped me backward, and he leaned forward, saying through gritted teeth, "If you don't want me to consummate our marriage on the dance floor, before all of these witnesses, you would do well to keep yourself in check."

I beamed innocently as the song came to an end. He pulled me upright, and he dragged me off of the dance-floor, grumbling that he'd have to distract himself with conversation.

Reaver deposited me near Logan and Kent, and he excused himself momentarily.

"So, what is that face about?" Kent asked with a chuckle.

"Oh," I sighed. "You know Reaver. His temperament runs from hot to cold in the blink of an eye."

"That looked hot and cold all at once," Kent noted. "The bargain still going on strong? Or...well.." He glanced at Logan momentarily, apparently not wanting to say too much in front of my brother.

I nodded gently.

Kent merely grinned, and he sipped at his champagne.

Reaver returned with a beautiful woman at his side, and it was Lady Angela Snow. Her ebony hair was slung slightly over her astoundingly green eyes. She had far lovelier curves than I, and I always found myself slightly self-conscious in her presence. I was suddenly wondering why Reaver was bringing such a lovely lady over here, restraining the temptation to send a bolt of lightning at the pair of them. From the way Reaver had spoken of her before, it was apparent that he'd dipped his pen in her ink-pot many times.

"Lady Angela, may I present you to my bride, Lilyana, and her brother Logan," Reaver said, releasing her and placing her near my brother.

"It is an honor to see you again, Your Majesty," She addressed me first. Her voice was smooth, but earthy. She curtsied, a smile spreading across her ruby-painted lips. She then turned to Logan offering him her hand. "Lovely to meet you, sir."

Logan's eyes tore away from her curves before he took her hand and kissed the top of it. "Yes, it is."

I looked over to Reaver, who was watching the pair of them with a devious look in his eyes, and I narrowed my eyes at him. His eyes widened as if to say 'what?'. He then smiled, and came to take me to his side, wrapping an arm around my waist. With his other hand, he took mine and brought it up to his lips.

I glanced over to Kent, who had yet to be introduced, and I said, "And that is Major Kent, my personal bodyguard."

Angela turned to Kent, her eyes darting up and down him briefly and a smile played across her lips. "It's always an honor to meet a brave soldier, who protects his country." She offered her hand to Kent, who took it, kissing it tenderly before returning it to her.

"It is always an honor to meet a beautiful lady," Kent returned, his sharky grin spreading across his face.

Logan's mouth tightened.

* * *

The reception was coming to an end, and it was time for me to throw the bouquet among the group of single ladies. I stood with my back to the crowd, and I tossed it over my shoulder. Refined noblewomen clawed and screeched, and dainty ladies cursed and fought for a chance at it. One woman emerged victorious. Lady Angela Snow held her prize over her head while the other women frowned and scowled at her. I noticed her give a decidedly intentional glance to my brother, and I couldn't help but smile.

Reaver was tugging me in the direction of the main hall, but as we exited a servant came up to me, breathless.

"Your Majesty, there's a matter of great importance that requires your attention," She huffed.

I glanced between her and Reaver.

Reaver's was all tension, and his eyes flashed dangerously to this woman.

"Are you not aware that it is The Queen's wedding night?" He asked.

"Yes, Your Grace," The servant whimpered. "I...I am just doing as I was told."

I looked apologetically to him, and I said, "I will only be a few moments."

He was basically vibrating with frustration at this point, but he nodded. "Go on. The longer we speak, the longer I have to wait to have you."

I leaned in to brush a small, heated kiss against his lips, but I turned to follow the flushed red-haired servant.  
We turned the corner toward the throne room, and I stopped her.

"Thank you," I told her. "I realize that my husband can be a little intimidating."  
The woman nodded quickly. "It is no problem, Your Majesty."

"Now, make sure that the guards know to stay at the ends of the hall," I instructed her. "And instruct them to not let anyone but my husband by."

"Yes," She affirmed.

* * *

The door to the throne room opened, and Reaver came hurrying in, his face full of worry. Quickly enough, that look melted away and was replaced by one of surprise.

I sat nude in the throne, my chest thrust forward and my legs crossed one over the other. The only thing I wore was the tiara on top of my head. A smile drifted across my lips.

He gaped for a moment, but his surprise turned to glee. He walked across the large, empty room, and he approached the throne after giving me a deep bow, sweeping his hat off and tossing it to the side.

I stood, and he was on me in an instant. His tongue moved unopposed into my mouth, and he groaned. His gloved hands were everywhere, touching and caressing. He paused for a moment, saying, "What has ever possessed you to do this?"

I leaned forward to whisper delicately into his ear, "I want you to bend me across this throne of mine and bury your face in my..."

And without letting me finish my sentence, he obeyed, flipping me over and bending me forward. I caught myself against the seat of the throne. He devoured me without abandon, until my cries of pleasure echoed against the walls of the large, empty room.

"Now," He said, straightening me. He took off his jacket, and he tossed it to the side. "I think it's time you see what it feels like to be on the other side of this, hmm?"

I raised an eyebrow as he took a seat in the throne, tugging me to my knees before him. His dark eyes widened with a clear suggestion.

I leaned forward, and I swiftly unbuttoned his pants. His erection was already at its full length and girth, obviously having an easy time coming to attention. He lifted his hips as I tugged his pants down, and he gripped the length of himself, his eyes bidding me to continue.

I took him into my mouth, swirling my tongue around his stiffness.

His hip jolted upward, and he groaned.

I tested the bounds of my mouth, moving every way I possibly could. I took him deep into my throat, but was forced to draw away due to inexperience. My jaw grew sore, but I persisted. I brought my eyes up to find his, and he tilted his head to the side. He glanced to where my mouth held him, and his eyes burned. He pulled me to stand, and sat me facing away from him on his lap. He entered me all at once, and both of our voices echoed.

I sighed his name as we moved together, our bodies working up a frenzy. I was nearing my edge, and I was surprised that he sounded similarly afflicted. He kissed my neck, cupping one breast, and his other hand sunk lower toward my throbbing bud. He stroked me until I reached my peak, the rush of relief and pleasure overwhelming. I felt his hips shiver, and he made the most desperate hungry moans between my shoulder blades as he spilled himself inside of me

"Oh, Lilyana, you have turned into the most devious woman," he breathed, collapsing back against the throne. "I love that I brought that out in you."  
I leaned against his chest, grinning back to him.

Even after having me twice in the throne room, Reaver's lust still wasn't satisfied. He scooped me up in his arms as we moved to cross the threshold into the bedroom. Stepping inside, he smirked to me. "Well, here we are, my most beautiful bride."

He carried me to the bed, kicking the door shut behind us, and he set me down gently. The guards had seen us going down the hall, Me wearing only my underclothes and Reaver's shirt, and Reaver generally not caring and moving through the halls shirtless and coat-less. He moved to take his clothes off of me, giving me_ that_ look.

He leaned down to give me a kiss across my lips before reaching for the buttons of his coat, when there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Your Majesty," said Kent's voice. "I realize that this is your wedding night, but a prisoner has escaped."

"Come in," Reaver said, standing, adjusting his bulging manhood in his pants.

Kent entered the room, but he quickly covered his eyes when they fell upon me.

I covered, and Reaver merely rolled his eyes.

"Which prisoner has escaped?" Reaver asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Um," Kent said, almost hesitant. "The prisoner down in the solitary dungeon."

My heart dropped, and I could see Reaver's whole body tense.

"How did he manage to escape?" he asked, each word sharp and severe.

"We think that a guard was paid off," Kent went on to say.

"Do we know which guard?"

"Yes," Kent replied. "But he's not talking."

"Where?" Reaver asked, his tone deathly serious.

Reaver left, an angry glint in his eye, and I was left with Kent.

"This wasn't how I expected my wedding night," I sighed. I had put on a robe since Reaver had left, and we sat on the opposing wing-back chairs in the corner of the suite.

"I'm terribly sorry, Lily," Kent told me. "Someone must have used all of the chaos as a distraction. Clever, actually."  
"Clever, yet untimely."

"Yes."

I rubbed my temples, and I leaned back in the chair. With Nathaniel on the loose, my life was about to become much more unpredictable. I wasn't sure if Reaver would leave to hunt him down or if he would stay by my side to protect me. Though, my name was at the top of the list, it was Reaver who Nathaniel wished to destroy.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Oh noes! Don't forget to leave reviews!**


	14. Guarded

-Chapter Thirteen-

Reaver reentered the bedroom hours later, long after I had fallen asleep in the wingback chair, and I was roused by his arms gently lifting me from my place. Kent had been sent away, apparently. I glanced up to him, and I offered him half of a smile, trying to soothe his clearly frazzled nerves. He lay me across the top of the blankets, and he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Did you find out anything useful?" I asked softly, reaching to stroke the top of his hand.

He shook his head. "Someone must have paid that guard handsomely, for he wouldn't budge, even when...well, he wouldn't speak, and that's all that matters, my dear."  
I pushed myself to the sitting position, and I slipped my arms around him, resting my head gently against his shoulder. "I let him live. This is my fault."

"No, darling," Reaver sighed, rubbing his temples. "The boy lives because of me. Because I wanted him to suffer. Mercy was not the reason for my suggestion of imprisoning him, and he knew that. He wanted to escape, possibly to save himself, and possibly to do what he had failed to do all those months ago. I fear that with the element of surprise on his side, my job is that much more difficult."

"You don't have to shoulder this burden alone," I told him. "I was blinded by naivety and grief the last time he struck. I won't be so unprepared this time, Reaver."

"I know," he said, turning to face me, cupping my face in my hands. "The possibility of losing you is too much to think about. My foolish choices have come back to haunt the both of us." He stroked my cheek, and he kissed my forehead.

"There are guards stationed outside?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Then lay with me," I whispered. "Leave these troubles behind...just for tonight. We can worry tomorrow morning."

"As tempting as that is, dear one, I fear I won't be able to sleep. My mind is too full of-"

I pulled him into a soft kiss, and he angled himself toward me. He slipped an arm around me, his mouth so very gentle against mine, and he drew away, a smile on his lips.

"Now, a kiss isn't going to make me forget our troubles, love," he told me.

"It is our wedding night," I reminded him, pulling at the sash of my robe.

"This is very true," He confirmed, stroking my face.

"And there are guards," I continued, moving to unbutton the first few buttons of his shirt.

"Yes."

"And I didn't quite get my fill of you earlier," I whispered, kissing his neck tenderly.

"Hmmm, then I shall have to try a little harder." He pressed me back into the mattress, covering my body with his. He trailed his fingers down the front of my dressing gown, and he buried his face against my neck.

My stomach bundled up into a ball of desire, and I pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. I stroked his hair, letting my fingers trail further and further down.

"I love you," He said against my flesh, pushing my gown up further. "I realize that I may not say it enough, but never doubt that I do."

"I love you too," I told him as he drew away to look up to me.

His thumb traced the scars on my jawline, and he looked as if he wanted to say more, but he didn't. He, instead, parted my thighs, and wrapped me around him. Even through the material of his trousers and underthings, I could feel the stiff, hot evidence of his arousal. He kissed my lips again, keeping in pace with the gentleness of every single touch.

I sighed his name in approval as he broke away to move his kisses further down my body and eventually pull my gown off of me. He kissed across my breasts, down across my stomach and back up to my neck.

I groaned gently, and I reached between us to work at undoing the buttons of his trousers. I pushed them off of his hips, and I guided him inside of me.

A soft breath of what sounded like relief left his mouth, and he curled his fingers around my wrist, bringing my hand to rest on his shoulder. He moved tenderly inside of me, and he rested his forehead against my collarbone.

He made love to me with more tenderness and devotion than I had ever felt before. Every touch felt sacred, and every sound was almost an offer of thanks. After our bodies gave into the ecstasy, Reaver held me close, possibly closer than ever. His mouth touched my face so many times, I lost count, and I drifted to sleep in his protective embrace.

I woke to find myself still locked in Reaver's arms, but he was awake and deep and thought.

"Are you afraid that I'll float away?" I asked, giving him a faint smile.

"I'm afraid that someone's going to take you away from me," He corrected me, giving me a little more room to move.

I turned onto my side, and I draped my leg over his waist. "That's not going to happen."

He simply sighed.

"So I take it that we will not be enjoying our honeymoon in the mountains," I said, pushing myself to the sitting position. I reached over the side of the bed to grab my dressing gown, sliding it over my body.

"You understand, don't you?" he asked.

"I understand that Nathaniel is on the loose, and that he will try to strike out at you or me," I said. "But we know that he is out there."

"Yes, but-"

"And I can defend myself," I added.

"I know, but-"

"And you'll be right there with me," I continued.

He huffed as he stood. "Don't you know that I can't let anything happen to you? Not again."

There was a silence between us.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Fine."

He raised a brow, as if he didn't believe me.

"If I'm going to be stuck in the castle, I'm going to need a lot of company," I told him, moving to wrap my arms around him.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." He grinned.

* * *

When Reaver had promised me company, I thought he had been offering his own services, but he was nowhere to be seen. He had gone off, probably investigating the Nathaniel situation, and I was left with Kent. We walked around the gardens, because I was tired of being indoors all day. The sky was darkening, but the air was still thick with heat. Summer was coming, and I wasn't looking forward to the hot, sticky heat it would bring. Then again, after Aurora, surely Albion's heat couldn't be too bad.

"So..." Kent said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Reaver told me all the details of what happened with this fellow Nathaniel."

"All of them?" I wondered.

He rubbed his chin, his eyes widening. "Reaver's basically older than dirt." He chuckled vaguely to himself, but he shook his head. "And he's got a bastard child out there that's angry with him for sucking the life out of his mother. Am I somewhere in the vicinity of all the details?"

"Uh...yes, actually," I said, nodding.

"And this...Nathaniel is after you," He said.

"Yes."

"You've got a letter, Your Majesty," said a servant as he walked up to the pair of us. He handed me the folded piece of paper, and I opened it at once.

"Who's it from?" he asked.

I glanced down. It was from Ben. He was apologizing for not attending the wedding, as he'd never received his invitation until recently. He promised that after he was done in Samarkand, he would be returning to Albion within a few weeks time. I had wondered why he never responded to the wedding invitation, but I supposed it was too much to hope for all of my friends to make an appearance.

"A friend of mine from The War," I said.

"That Page-girl?" Kent asked, crossing his arms over his chest. His face read as disapproving.

"No," I told him, but I paused. My curiosity was getting the better of me. I had wondered why he'd been so hostile towards her before. "What do you have against Page?"

"She's careless," Kent told me, turning away "She was careless with her people in The Reisistance."

"You...knew her?"  
"Not personally, but I knew her people," He said. "They didn't care who they got in trouble, as long as their ends were met."

I pressed my lips together, my curiosity still not sated, but he looked a if he were going to continue.

Kent raked his hand through his hair. "My wife was hung as a traitor back in those days." He turned his gaze to me briefly. "She helped the wrong people and got caught doing it."

"I...I'm sorry," I said, my stomach dropping. I hadn't known.

"Don't be sorry," he said. He offered me a smile. "It wasn't your fault. She chose her friends, and she chose to leave me in the dark about it."

I suppose he had good enough reason to not like Page, but I had been part of that resistance, too. I had been the face of it once the time to move on Logan came, and yet, here he was. Guarding me. Protecting me.

He nudged me gently. "So, now that I know you're into older men. If anything ever happens between you and Reaver..."

I cracked a smile, and he seemed satisfied.

* * *

The next day, it was Logan's turn to stay with me while Reaver was out again doing Light knows what, but he seemed different. Off. I observed him, trying to figure out the root of this change. He seemed on-edge, excitable. He stared off into space, but then suddenly was striking up conversation.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, finally giving up.

"What?" He asked, snapping back to attention. "What do you mean?"

"That," I explained. "You are acting oddly, Logan."

"I'm just...It's nothing."

I raised a brow.

"Okay," He sighed. "I think I may be interested in inviting Lady Angela to dinner."

"Oh? " I drummed my fingers on the armrest of the couch. "Perhaps you might be interested in more than that?"

"Stop it," He said, narrowing his eyes. "You sound like Reaver."

"I'll send a letter at once," I said, standing.

"What?" he asked, his eyes widening all of the sudden.

"I can send a letter requesting her at dinner tonight," I said. "I believe Reaver said she was still in Bowerstone."

"What?" He asked again. "No. Don't."

"Why?" I arched a brow at him. "Didn't you just say-?"

"Yes, I know what I said, but...It's been a very long time since I've tried to woo a woman," He smoothed his hand over his hair. "And I can tell she's had many offers of..."

"She seemed interested in you," I told him.

"She seemed interested in Kent," He came back at me.

"So? Kent is handsome and worth being intersted in. And you weren't exactly making your intentions known, were you?"

"Well...no."

"Then I will invite her to dinner, and you will woo her," I said. "Even with Kent present."

He sighed, obviously defeated.

* * *

Lady Angela accepted the dinner invitation, and she showed up at the castle in perfect form. She wore a lilac-colored dress that hugged her lovely curves, and when Reaver and I received her in the foyer, she smiled.

"Thank you so much, Your Majesty," She said in a curtsy. "It is an honor to be invited to dine at your table."

"The honor is mine," I replied. "It is always nice to have another woman around. As you may have noticed, I am constantly surrounded by nothing but men."

"I would not complain," She chuckled. "Especially since you find yourself constantly in the company of such handsome men."

I smiled. "I am a lucky woman."

"Indeed," she said.

Logan approached us, and when he saw Lady Angela his face shifted. He scrambled toward us, greeting Lady Angela with a bow. "My Lady."

"So lovely to see you , Logan," She said, her voice suddenly sultry. She offered him her most dazzling smile. "I had hoped we would meet again soon."

Logan's smile lit up his face, and I couldn't help but smile, too.

Logan and Angela were giving each other looks across the table, and I was positively tickled at the prospect of Logan being happy. I don't think I had ever seen my brother look at a woman that way, and it brought a smile to my face.

"So, Reaver," Angela said, her eyes cutting towards him. A grin spread across her face. "How has marriage been treating you?"

"Well, I must say that despite having to cancel our honeymoon, marriage has been quite kind to us," he said, putting his hand over mine. "Hasn't it, love?"

I wanted to say something. I'd barely seen him since our wedding night. He'd been off hunting Nathaniel with not much luck. I merely smiled with a nod. "Yes."

"It's a shame about the honeymoon," Angela noted, her lips twisting into a small pout. "I've always dreamed of going to Aurora, personally."

"I think Reaver and Lilyana have had their fair share of Aurora," Kent put in, a playful glint in his eye.

"Yes," Reaver said, heaving a breath. "Unfortunately, I foresee having to visit soon for some business opportunities for my factories."

"You're married to The Queen and you're still running those dreadful factories?" Angela asked, sipping at her wine.

"Well, yes," he replied. "I can't let my dear Lilyana be the only person working diligently to better our great land, now can I?"

"No, I suppose not," She said. "Though, while I wouldn't mind staying home all day, lounging, eating chocolates while my husband worked all day, I'd imagine it would be very boring."

"That is precisely my point," Reaver confirmed.

"You're fond of chocolates, are you?" Logan asked.

"Very," Angela replied, giving him a deliberate stare along with a smile.

"I think all women are," I laughed.

"I wouldn't mind sitting around all day eating chocolates," Kent added. "But then I'd gain weight, and Lilyana is already a much faster walker than I am. I wouldn't be able to keep up to do my job."  
We all laughed a little.

"So, Your Majesty," Angela said, turning her attention to me. "When can we expect the pitter-pattering of little royal feet?"

Reaver's eyes widened as he choked on his wine, and Kent roared with laughter while Logan chuckled softly to himself.

"I suppose I should take that as indication that something like that hasn't yet been discussed," giggled Angela. She took a sip of her wine, and she sighed. "I do so love children."

"As do I," I said. "Though, it has not come up in conversation, yet." I looked deliberately at Reaver, whose eyes were still watery from inhaling his drink. He wiped at them, trying to avoid my gaze.

"Oh, I completely understand," She went on. "I'm sure that you want to enjoy every single moment together before that time comes." She raised her eyebrows.

I simply gave her a smile.

"So, Lady Angela," Logan said, setting his glass down. "I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me after dinner?"

She gave him half of a smirk. "Why, I'd love to."

* * *

The time was close, now. He would soon be able to get his revenge. The girl had been naïve enough to help him, but she'd made him promise not to hurt The Queen. He lied. Of course he lied. He _needed_ to hurt her, and now he was going to get his chance.

Page had managed to smuggle him a guard uniform before his escape, and he'd been able to slip out with a few of the other guards. No one had known he'd escaped until hours later. The wedding had played well in his favor.

"Are you sure that you will be able to pull this off?" Page asked, as she stopped him from crossing the room. She'd met him where he'd been staying at Bowerstone Storage in order to confirm that it was time.

"I'll die trying," Nathaniel replied, buttoning the coat to the red and white uniform. "I'll get him one way or another."

"Do you need anything else?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You brought me everything that I require," He told her, giving her a soft smile.

"If you hurt Lilyana, I will kill you," Page said, her eyes flashing dangerously at him.

He merely offered her a smile. "It's Reaver that I've the issue with. You've thoroughly dissuaded me from any ill-will towards The Queen. She can be a good ruler...without _him_ to interfere."

"Good," Page confirmed with a nod.

"Besides, I doubt I'll be able to kill both of them." He ran his hand through his newly cropped hair. He'd kept his beard for a little more anonymity. He didn't look like the same man that had attempted this all those months ago. He'd even surprised himself the first time he looked at himself in the mirror.

"You know that...if she truly cares about him, she may kill you. She is stronger than you can imagine," Page warned him.

"Then I die, but Reaver pays," He said. He put the brushed off the front of his uniform, and he smirked.

** A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! I wrote it on what was supposed to be my day off, but I couldn't stay away. Leave me reviews! :)**


	15. Running

**A/N: Okay, so I hope you guys really like this one. I put a lot into it. Read and Review. Let me know what you think!**

-Chapter Fourteen-

After dinner, Kent, Reaver and I left Angela and Logan to their walk, while we retired to the study to have a drink. Kent poured us all a drink while Reaver settled down on the couch next to me, wrapping his arm around my back.

"So, Lady Angela seems nice," I stated.

Reaver smirked. "Oh, she is very nice."

"You've slept with her, haven't you?" I questioned, my eyes slashing to him.

"Oh, no, my dear," Reaver replied, squeezing me gently. "I didn't sleep with her."

Something in me didn't believe him, and he shrugged.

Kent glanced back. "Did you...er...do something else with her?"

"That, is a completely different question," Reaver chuckled.

I nudged him, mustering up a dirty look.

"I am simply telling the truth, love," He replied. "I never _slept with_ anyone before you."

Before the argument could go any further, Kent handed us our drinks, and I took my first sip with a very sour look on my face.

"When one gets to be as...well-traveled as I have, one tends to build up a few notches in one's belt," Reaver explained, swirling his drink with a grin. "But, yours is, by far, my favorite notch, love." He put his hand on my thigh. "Besides, Angela seems far more interested in your brother than your husband."

I cracked a little bit of a smile.

"Yes," Kent said. "I noticed that. It breaks my heart."

"You were interested in Angela?" Reaver asked, raising his brows.

"It's my curse," Kent continued. "Ever chasing the women that aren't available to me." He feigned a heavy sigh.

I went to take another sip of my drink, when there was a swift knock at the door before it opened.

A guard entered and bowed toward Reaver and me, but he looked at Kent. "Sir, Jenkins has been found."

"He was missing?" Kent questioned, setting his glass down on the desk.

"No, sir. He's dead," The guard breathed. "Throat cut. He was put in a storage room down in the cellar."

Kent and Reaver looked at each other.

"Put the palace on lock down," Kent ordered, walking over toward him. "No one is allowed to come in or leave, do you hear me? Escort Reaver and The Queen to their bedroom, and send me the Guard-Captain. I want his full report. "

"Yes, sir," The guard saluted, and he waited for a moment for Reaver and me.

Reaver basically lifted me to my feet as he shot up off of the couch.

"It's him," He said, a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Should we leave the castle?" I asked.

"That will come later, if necessary," Kent explained. "For now, I want the pair of you behind a closed door with a dozen guards between you and anyone else."

"Come," Reaver said, pulling me by my arm toward the door and the waiting guard.

I glanced back to Kent, who was throwing back the rest of his drink before pulling his pistol to check it. He looked up to me, offering a reassuring smile.

As we entered the bedroom, Reaver stripped off his coat, and he, too was checking his pistols. He started a swift pace across the room, and I moved to walk alongside him. If this was really Nathaniel, both of us were in danger.

"Someone has helped him," Reaver said. "That much is certain."

"Yes, but who?" I asked. He could have paid a guard, a servant...he could have convinced anyone to help him.

"No one is to be trusted," Reaver continued. "Logan, Kent, and I are the only people that will be allowed near you until this is sorted out, is that clear?" His eyes flashed up to mine.

My heart pounded. "Yes."

"I'm half-tempted to send you off to Jasper in the Sanctuary," He grumbled.

"I'm _not_ leaving you," I said, grasping his wrist.

He stopped, and he turned toward me. "You would be safe, and that is what matters to me."

"And you think your safety doesn't matter to me?" I asked. "You are not the only one that has searched while the person you love was out by themselves, dying."

He looked away for a moment, but he then cupped my face. "I know."

I wrapped my arms around him, and he folded, exhaling heavily. He pressed a kiss on the top of my head, and he said, "We should get you dressed to travel."

I nodded, deciding it would be better not to argue.

Both dressed for riding, Reaver and I waited. I sat on the couch, simply watching him as he paced back and forth. His every muscle was tense, and his eyes flickered to the door once every few moments, putting his hand over his Dragonstomper every time footsteps crossed down the hall.

I stood to adjust my trousers and tuck them into my knee-high boots. While I had the free time, I decided that I might as well do something with my hair. I braided it tightly and coiled it into a bun.

"We haven't heard anything." I said, wringing my hands together. "It's worrying."

He gave me a look of grim agreement, when suddenly the bedroom door opened. His pistol was pointed faster than my eye could catch.

Kent entered and Reaver lowered his gun.

"Everyone is secure. Logan and Lady Angela have been brought inside, and he said he would guard her until he is needed," Kent updated us. "It is troubling that we haven't found anything yet. Prepare yourself to move very soon."

"I could take us through the Sanctuary," I volunteered.

"Darling, that takes too much energy out of you," Reaver said. "I need you to be sharp if we're going to leave the castle. Everyone needs to be vigilant." He stowed the pistol back in his holster, and he grabbed his coat again.

"We will be away and safe," I said. "It won't matter if I'm exhausted or not."

"Not an option," Reaver said, laying down the line. "You wouldn't be able to take everyone that is required to guard you."

I was assuming that he meant Kent, Logan, and himself. I crossed the room, and I grabbed my weapons. "When, Kent?"

"Soon," he replied. "I will go fetch Logan, then we can leave." He turned and left the room swiftly, and I heard him speaking to the guards for a moment outside the door.

Reaver took me into his arms quickly, pressing a heated kiss against my mouth. I slipped my arms around him, and he just held me tightly.

"Do not hesitate to leave me if you need to," Reaver said quietly.

"It's not going to come to that," I replied, equally as quiet. I looked up to him. "If I have to, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you."

He smirked for a moment. "I don't know. Kent might get jealous that he never gets to carry me around anymore." He stroked my face tenderly. "I love you, Lilyana."

"And I love you," I replied, pulling him down for another kiss.

The door opened again and Logan and Kent entered. Logan was pulling on a coat, and he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.

"Is Lady Angela safe?" Reaver asked, releasing me hesitantly.

"Yes," Logan confirmed with a nod. "I saw to it that she is guarded well."

"Good," I said. "Thank you, Logan."

He nodded, a small smile crossing his face.

"We should be leaving soon," Kent said, crossing his arms over his chest."The plan is to get Lily to the stables. Logan you will ride ahead, ensuring that the way toward Brightwall is safe."

"Yes, Lady Angela has offered to house us as long as is needed," Logan informed us. "She will be traveling in the morning, if everything is deemed safe."

Reaver nodded. "Good, and from there, we can determine if we need to travel any further."

Kent agreed. "We need to get moving soon."

We moved swiftly across the property, Kent leading the way, Reaver at my side, and Logan bringing up the rear. Reaver, Kent, and Logan each had their pistols drawn. I had a hand on my sword, a rifle on my back, and my Will gauntlets strapped on, also ready for attack.

"When we get to the stables, I'll secure them," Reaver said. "Kent, you get Lily on a horse and prepare one for me."

"Yes," Kent confirmed.

"And Logan, you get yourself going to Brightwall as quickly as you can," Reaver added.

Logan's voice was tense. "Yes, of course."

"Lily, I need you to promise that you won't do anything stupid or brave or self-sacrificing," Reaver said, his eyes turning to me and burning. "I need you to leave this castle safely."

I nodded, deciding to say nothing. The only words that would come out would be sarcastic, and I figured that it wouldn't be helpful. I glanced up to the full moon. It was tinged with the tiniest bit of orange. An ominous sign to superstitious folk in Albion. I gulped down the lump in my throat, and I continued to follow Kent and Reaver.

"If there is danger on the way to Brightwall, I will turn back to warn you," Logan said. "We don't know how organized Nathaniel is this time."

"Hopefully not very," I sighed.

Suddenly, a shot rang through the air, coming from the front of the castle, and we all turned at once. Reaver's whole body went rigid, and his eyes were molten with anticipation.

"I should go investigate," Logan offered, stowing his blade to walk off..

"No," Reaver snapped, grabbing my brother by the shoulder and pulling him closer to me. "I will. I can run much faster. Stay with Lilyana. Leave without me if necessary. Kent can ride with her in my stead."

"Reaver," I hissed angrily. "Don't you-"

And he was gone without another word, tearing off toward the origin of the gunfire. I almost fired a shot off in his direction out of frustration, but I stayed my hand. I would need to conserve both my concentration and my ammunition.

Kent took my hand, pulling me along. "We're almost there. He'll be along shortly." He offered me a soft smile as he looked back quickly. "As long as this Nathaniel doesn't try to attack him with sand or dehydration, I'm sure he'll be fine." Squeezing my hand, he picked up his pace.

The stables were within sight now, but I still wasn't relieved. Until Reaver returned I would be on edge. My stomach turned within me. What if something happened to him? I almost had to stop to be sick, but I continued on after Kent.

"Are you alright?" he asked, seeing my face.

"Just...nervous," I replied. "My stomach is unsettled."

"It's understandable," Logan chipped in. "We'll be on our way very shortly."

"He will be fine," Kent assured me.

"I know," I panted.

Finally, we made our way into the stables, and I saw that there was a guard stationed at the far end. He turned for a moment, but he bowed when he saw it was me, returning quickly to his duty, his bearded face snapping back forward.

Kent and I hurried to prepare three horses, as Logan ran off to get to work on his own. I lifted the saddle hastily onto my horse, and I fixed it into place.

"He should be back by now," I hissed quietly, checking my horse for anything else I would require. "If all was well, he would be here by now."

"Stop worrying," Kent said, his tone soft and soothing. "He will be here."

I moved toward the horse that would be Reaver's. He would be here soon. He would be on his way momentarily. He wasn't dead. Another wave of sickness swept over me at the thought. I steadied myself against the steed's flank.

"Lily, are you alright?" Kent asked, coming up behind me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, and pulled me away from the animal. "I'll finish. You catch your breath, okay?"  
I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself, slumping over a little. I breathed in the warm night air. The scent of the stable wasn't helping with my stomach. I licked my drying lips, and I started a small pace, trying to walk into a breeze.

Logan was taking his horse out of the stable, and he rode past. "Stay safe. I will see you when you arrive."

I nodded. "Be safe, brother."

He gave me curt nod before riding off.

I returned to pacing, and I glanced up to see that Kent was shooting me worried looks over his shoulder as he packed the saddle bags. I stopped, grasping onto a beam, trying with every ounce of will not to vomit.

"Are you sick, Your Majesty?" asked The Guard.

"No," I replied softly, wiping my brow and straightening up. I ran my hand over my hair as I exhaled. The nausea had passed, now. I would be okay, as long as I just kept calm. I steadied myself on my feet, and I glanced back over to the guardsman.

"Good," he said, his voice suddenly changing. "I would hate for you to be sick." His eyes slashed back at me over his shoulder.

I looked up to him, and my eyebrows furrowed. Those eyes. They were...

Before I could say anything, Nathaniel was rushing into firing range, a gun drawn at me.

"LILYANA!" Shouted Kent, dropping the bags, and turning to spring at me.

Gunshots rang through the stable, spooking the horses, and a scream tore out of me.


	16. Hero

**A/N: So, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave me a review to let me know what you think!**

-Chapter Fifteen-

"We weren't able to find the source of the shot," said the Guard-Captain. "It was probably just someone firing nervously."

Reaver exhaled, his eyes angrily narrowing. "See to it that whoever shot off that round is punished, guard or not."

"Yes, Your Grace," Said the Guard-Captain, saluting.

Reaver started a run back toward the stables. Within minutes, they would be on their way to Brightwall, and Lilyana would be safe. He had to keep assuring himself that this would happen. He had to because the thought of losing her was staggering. The fear inside of him was a raging monster, forcing him to remember that day in Mistpeak.

Nathaniel had almost been successful.

He rounded the corner toward the stable when gunfire sounded from within, then the wail of horses, and a scream. _Her_ scream. His heart shot up into his throat, and he drew both guns from his waist. Another gunshot.

* * *

It had all happened so quickly. I was on the ground, and Kent was on top of me. I looked over to see that Nathaniel was trying to crawl away, his leg bleeding profusely.

Kent's pistol dropped from his hand to the ground, and he groaned, rolling onto his back, landing among the straw. I crawled to his side. His hand covered his stomach, but red flowed liberally from beneath it. His mouth fell open, and he sputtered, his eyes searching, then finding me. He smiled a gentle, crooked smile.

"Guess I finally get to rescue you, huh?" His voice was little more than a gurgle. His breathing was shaky, and his eyes held back the tears of his pain.

Tears poured from my eyes as I pulled him onto my lap, shaking my head. I wiped his face gently. "Please...you're not dying today." I shrugged my coat off, and I lifted his hand, pressing the material against his wound, trying to stem the bloodflow.

"Can't all live forever," Kent chuckled, but groaned softly, putting his hand on top of mine, clutching me tightly.

I heard hoofbeats approaching. Logan was returning, probably after hearing the gunshots. Nathaniel still rolled in the straw, clutching his useless leg. Kent had properly blown his knee nearly off.

"I'm so sorry," I wept, clutching him tightly. "This is my fault..."

"No, no...Lilyana, you saved my life," He breathed. " You gave me a reason to go on...And I want you to know that I..." He closed his eyes, gulping again. "My life was forever changed by you." He reached up to cup my face in his hand, the tears in his eyes finally spilling.

I found myself unable to say anything, I could only listen.

"Oh sod it..." He rolled his eyes gently, as if battling internally. He exhaled a shaky breath. "Even though you don't love me...like I love you..." He paused to breathe. "It was an honor to know...and serve you."

My heart twisted painfully in my chest. I leaned down, and I pressed a brief kiss against his forehead. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I wish..."

"Lily!" exclaimed Reaver as he hurried into the stable. "What-" His voice dropped suddenly as his eyes fell on me and Kent.

"I..was wondering when you'd show up," Kent said, his blue eyes finding his friend.

Logan had also returned, and he was leaping off of his horse to grab Nathaniel, but I couldn't focus on much of anything but Kent.

Reaver rounded us, kneeling on the other side of him, and lifting my coat and looking at the wound for himself. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together. He returned the coat, and pressed my hand against it. "I am sorry, my friend."

"Looks like I got under your skin, didn't I?" Kent asked, smirking up to Reaver.

"You're very good at that, it seems," Reaver told him, wiping away a dribble of blood From Kent's chin. "A few days ago...you asked me a question." He leaned down toward him. "Do you still want to know?"

"Who am I going to live to tell?" Kent asked, half-laughing, half-coughing.

Reaver leaned down, cupping his hand around his mouth, and whispering.

Kent's eyes widened with surprise, and a smile drifted across his face. "Wow...that's..._so_ much worse than P-Percy." His hand tightened over mine as more pain crossed his face.

"Hence why I go by Reaver."  
Kent gulped, pointing at Reaver. "If you hurt her, I will come back as a bleeding ghost and you'll never have privacy again."

Reaver took his hand tightly once more. "It wouldn't be too terrible having you around."

Kent guffawed, but he then coughed wildly. He smiled one last time, then the light in his big blue eyes went out, and his head fell backward against my arm.

"Kent..." I wept, pulling him closer, wrapping my arms around him.

Reaver was on his feet in an instant, and he grabbed Nathaniel by the ankle of his wounded leg, dragging him a few feet. Nathaniel howled with pain.

"I was going to let you rot," Reaver seethed. "But now, I fear, I must take action." He dug his heel into the other man's wound, coaxing another scream.

"Not now," Logan said. "I'll take him away." He grabbed Nathaniel by his arm.

"Right," Reaver said, his eyes turning back to me.

I laid Kent gently on the ground, and I rose to my feet. I was covered in red, and I felt nauseous again. I turned to walk to the doorway, and I managed to make it outside before vomiting. I wiped my face, but I couldn't bring myself to go back inside. Nathaniel was still in there, and Kent was still in there. I sighed, trying to slow my tears, but it was no use. I heard the guards that had made their way to the front of the stables, they were taking Nathaniel off of Logan's hands.

I walked to the other side of the door to slide to the ground, covering my face. Kent had just given his life to save me...because he loved me. I let out a shaky breath as I took my hands from my face. Someone had come to stand beside me, and I glanced up to see that it was Reaver. He looked weary, but he hadn't shed any tears.

He lowered his eyes to me, not saying anything, just looking. He held a hand out to me, and he helped me to my feet, pulling me into his arms. He heaved a heavy sigh.

* * *

I felt numb as Reaver pulled me out of my dirty, bloody clothes. A servant had drawn up a hot bath for me, while I saw to it that Kent was taken properly by the coroner. Everything had been a blur. Nathaniel had been caught, but now my friend was dead. My anger hadn't caught up with me yet. I was exhausted by the sadness.

Reaver helped me into the hot water. He had stripped out of his clothes, and he sat on a stool beside the tub, swirling his hand in the water.

"I'm sorry that this has happened again," he said solemnly.

"Why did you want him alive?" I asked softly, my eyes not meeting with his.

"Because something inside of me pitied him," He told me, running the sponge across my back.

"I thought you were without pity," I said, turning to look away.

"You tend to bring out the most unpredictable parts of me." He wrung the sponge out, and the water trailed quickly down my spine.

I sighed. "He told me that he loved me."

"I know he did."

I looked up to him. Of course he knew. I didn't know why I didn't know. It was all too obvious now, and I felt like a fool and a tease and a terrible person. I sighed, closing my eyes.

"How should we deal with Nathaniel?" He asked, changing the subject. "Someone was helping him. It is important that we find his accomplices and deal with them as well."

"Yes," I said with a nod. "I should very much like to see who helped him."

"As would I," he agreed with a nod.

* * *

Reaver crossed the room, dressed simply in trousers and a plain white shirt. He observed that someone had doctored Nathaniel's wound, and he was glad. He needed him to live. He whacked him in the ribs with his walking stick, and the boy cried out.

"Now, if you make me ask again, I promise, the next time, I'll aim marginally lower," Reaver said, tapping the other man's bandaged knee.

Nathaniel spit, and Reaver stepped out of his path, slamming the side of the cane into his knee.

A shriek of agony spilled into room, echoing off of the stone walls.

That was what he liked to hear. For good measure, he sent another rap into the bandage. His wound had reopened, and was bleeding through the bandages once more.

Nathaniel gritted his teeth together, and he shook his head. "I'm not telling you."

"Why are you so devoted to this person?"

"I'm not," He said with a laugh. "I just want to watch you squirm."

"You want someone to squirm?" Reaver said, stepping forward. He thrust his finger into the bandage, twisting inside of the injury.

Nathaniel's whole body jerked, and his voice cracked as he yelled. Tears streamed down his face, and he continued to sob, even as Reaver stepped away, wiping his bloodied finger off on his handkerchief.

"Tell me," Reaver said, his eyes full of fire. "Or I shall make new wounds to stick my fingers into."

"She has evidence," Nathaniel threatened. "People will know what you are."

"You say that as if I give a damn," Reaver said. "You see, when you live as long as I have, petty things like reputation or renown tend to...fall to the wayside." He pulled a folding knife out of his pocket, and he inspected himself in the shine of the blade, looking briefly up to Nathaniel.

"You're a monster,"

"I know." He ran the blade across Nathaniel's stomach, making a shallow cut.

* * *

I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed the next day. Reaver had been gone almost all night, sliding between the sheets just before sunrise, and I hadn't slept at all. Between the headache I had and the vomiting, I was ill just about all night.

My stomach was twisted into unsteady knots. Stress did this to me, sometimes. When my father had passed, everyone had assumed that I was dying, too, as sick as I became. The doctors just always attributed it to a sickly constitution. Then, when my Heroic potential was unlocked, it had almost disappeared, as if I had never been ill.

I turned onto my side, looking at Reaver. His sleep was troubled. His eyebrows were knitted, as if in worry, and his lips were pressed together. I swept a stray dark curl from his eyes, and I exhaled softly.

He stirred, his eyes opening softly, and he gave me half of a smile as if I'd just rescued him from a terrible dream. He pushed himself up on one arm, and he leaned down to kiss my lips softly.

"Did he say anything?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"No." His tone was flat.

I glanced away.

"He cannot stay silent forever, I assure you," He said. "It is only a matter of time before something slips out of that smug little mouth of his." He pushed my hair away from my face.

"What should we do with him?" I asked.

"You would leave it up to me?" He questioned incredulously.

I tilted my head in a small nod.

"I would take him to Wraithmarsh," He said simply.

I gulped, my gut twisting a little.

He said nothing, just leaned back onto the pillow, staring at the canopy above the bed.

"We must make arrangements for Kent," I said softly, glancing away. "He had no one else."  
"Yes," Reaver agreed, his tone mysterious to me. His eyes were far-off and forlorn, and completely troubled.

I just watched him, his face still and unchanging, like a statue. A slow blink broke the illusion, and he turned a little.

"Taking him to Wraithmarsh...would it kill him?"  
"No," He said. "He would simply be old."

"And after that, you would...?"

"Live to fight another year, as handsome and charming as ever."  
I blinked a little. "Do it."

"What?" He sounded surprised now, as if he'd expected me to put up a fight

I exhaled, and I looked wearily at him. "I'm tired of losing the ones I love, Reaver. I'd rather it be him than you."

He reached to trace my jawline softly. He leaned to kiss my mouth once more, and he said, "I wasn't going to ask for your permission, though I am glad to see that you are so open to the idea."

I said nothing in return. I returned his kiss with one of my own.

"For a few terrifying moments, I thought it was you that had been shot," He said softly. "You screamed..." He closed his eyes, inhaling. "You screamed the last time he had you, as well. And..." he exhaled, shaking his head, not finishing.

I closed my eyes, pressing myself into his chest, and he wrapped an arm around me.

"I'm sorry that you lost him," He said softly.

I breathed out.

* * *

"Your Majesty, Your Grace," said Hobson, entering the study, where I had been reading, and Reaver had been fine tuning the details of Kent's funeral. "A Benjamin Finn."

I stood, and when he entered the room, he looked like the same old Ben, but his smile was replaced with a look of weariness.

"Ben?" I asked. "What's the matter."

"I heard about what happened," Ben said. "That nutter going crazy and trying to kill you, killing your friend. I was sorry to hear that, by the way."

I nodded softly.

"And I think I know someone who may have helped," He pulled a bundle of papers out of his vest, and he dropped them on the desk in front of Reaver. "They're about you, mostly. Some of it written by you."

Reaver opened the papers, his eyes widenening, absorbing the words quickly. "And where did you get this?"

He glanced over to me, and then he sighed. "I found them at Page's."

My heart stopped. Page had been working with Nathaniel? I felt sick again, but I closed my eyes, sighing. "Are you sure this is hers?"  
"Yes," He said.

Reaver slammed a hand down on the table, discarding the papers, and he stood quickly. "Where is she?" His eyes were churning with fire.

"She's still in Industrial," Ben said. "She doesn't know...that I came."

Reaver took off out of the room, not even bothering to hear my pleas for him to let the guards handle it.

I looked at him. "Thank you, Ben. I realize that this must be difficult for you."

"Murder isn't the solution to anything," Ben replied. "I hope that husband of yours is going to show restraint."

I exhaled. "I do, too." I plopped back down on the couch, and Ben took a seat next to me.

"You look terrible," He said with a soft chuckle.

"I feel worse than that," I admitted with soft shrug. "I lost a friend last night."

"You look a little bloated, too," He offered.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Shut up, Ben."

"I'm kidding," He breathed, throwing his arms up in defeat.

* * *

Page felt the barrel of the Dragonstomper against the back of her head before she heard anything. He had snuck up on her in her own house. She dropped her book, and she drew her hands upward, showing that they were empty. He pulled the hammer back.

"Why?" was all he asked.

"This isn't just about her," Page said, her voice trembling. "You've killed many people, Reaver. Mistreated so many others."

"And?" He asked.

"And that's it," She said. "You can't be left to be in a position of power. You'll ruin this country."

"I don't know," He said, his voice sliding upward. "I did happen to donate a lot of money to save this country from ruin. And all I asked in return was one teensy little favor."

"And what is that favor?" She asked. "For her to sleep with you? Is that what started her little infatuation?"

"No," He said. "I haven't...cashed it in, so to say. I'm saving it."

"For what?"

"Something that I don't think you will ever earn from our dear Lilyana."  
"Her love?"

"Forgiveness."


	17. Mourning

**A/N: Just wanted to give another THANK YOU to my awesome betareader: angelacm. She puts up with my typos and b.s. so you don't have to! Let me know what you think! Leave a review!**

-Chapter Sixteen-

The day was bright and sunny. It didn't feel fitting for a funeral. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to ground myself. It still hadn't quite sunken in. I could only hope that I could send my friend off with dignity and tact. As Queen, a certain level of togetherness was expected of me, though I wasn't sure if that would be at all possible. My nerves were fried, and my stomach was still unsettled, with no relief in sight.

Reaver looked thoroughly unprepared. As many times as he'd faced death or inflicted it, he seemed like he dreaded this. He dressed in almost total silence, every edge of him pressed and primped to perfection. He glanced back to me, tearing his eyes from himself in the mirror, but he said nothing, merely rubbing his chin.

"You don't have to keep checking on me," I said, standing and pushing the invisible wrinkles from the front of my dress. "I have done my fair share of funerals."

He said nothing still, merely nodding. He looked to himself in the mirror once more, tousling a few of his dark curls before sighing, unsatisfied, and grabbing his top hat. He pushed the thing on top of his head, sullying his hard work, and he turned to me. "Come. We had better go."

He put his arm around me. It was surprisingly gentle, hesitant. He led me out of the room, still quiet.

I observed his face. His jaw was set tightly, and his eyes were almost bewildered. It was clear that Reaver wasn't very adept at dealing with grief. He avoided my gaze, as though looking at me would unravel his determined stoicism.

"I love you," I reminded him quietly.

His eyes finally met with mine, widening and filled with something unfamiliar. He returned his eyes to our path down the stairs.

I breathed softly, deciding to let him be. No good ever came of poking at a powder keg.

* * *

"Heroes aren't just born," I said to the small gathering around the grave site, my voice shaking. "They are made. By our actions, by our love, our devotion. By sheer determination and strength of will." I blinked away a few tears. "Major Kent...he was an amazing man, and I was glad to be able to know him and call him a friend."

Logan lowered his head, his arm tightening around Lady Angela, who gazed toward me with her large, sympathetic eyes. She had offered to stay longer, for Logan's sake.

"He will be missed," I said, laying a long-stemmed white rose on the mound of dirt.

Reaver laid a flower as well, and he straightened to cross his arms over his chest. "Yes."

The Abbott took over the ceremony, saying all the required passages, commending him heavily for being a faithful and devoted man.

I just stared down to the mound of dirt that covered my friend. I owed him so much. He was with me through a lot in the short time we had been friends. The time in the desert had been so hard on me, but he was there, never leaving my side.

As the ceremony ended, people drifted away, and eventually Reaver and I were left staring down to Kent's final resting place.

"I haven't been to a funeral in many years," Reaver said. "I always thought it was below me to pay respect to those stupid enough to die." His eyes moved to the temporary wooden gravemarker, then to the dirt. The muscles in his neck tightened, and his handsome face looked very severe.

I stayed quiet.

"I will never forgive him for making me like him," he continued, and he stole a glance at me. "He was nearly as insufferable as you." He reached into his coat, and he produced a flask, taking a small swig from it before pouring the contents over the dirt. He replaced the cap to the flask, and he pocketed it.

I folded my hands in front of me, clutching at the handkerchief Reaver had handed me at the beginning of the service. "Goodbye, Kent," I whispered.

* * *

Our walk back to the bedroom had been like the rest of our morning. It was quiet and strained. I couldn't read him. I couldn't tell what he was feeling, and that frustrated me. He seemed at ease and on edge all at once.

I would have to change before court this afternoon. Page's sentencing was scheduled for today. I was glad. I wanted this mess to be over with. I shucked my dress off of myself. My mind was foggy, and I felt tired despite all of the sleep I'd been getting. I combed my fingers through the braid, unraveling it, hoping that maybe my headache was only due to the style.

I put the black dress back in my wardrobe, and I glanced over to see Reaver unbuttoning his vest next to my vanity. He was faced deliberately away from me, and he exhaled a long sigh, pausing what he was doing to put his hand down, as if he had just been hit by a wave of grief.

I came to stand behind him, putting my hand over his on the vanity, and he turned abruptly, taking me into his arms, crushing his mouth against mine. His hands clutched desperately at my hips, drawing them toward his.

My heart thudded, but my body moved automatically to mirror the movements of his. I was pushing his vest off of his shoulders, tearing at his buttons, and sighing with relief when my fingers touched bare flesh. I pulled from his mouth to trail hot kisses down to his belt line.

Within moments, he had freed himself of his belt, and he was unbuttoning his trousers. The moment I wrapped my lips around him, a groan of relief left him. He leaned against the edge of the vanity, one of his hands curling into my hair, tightly gripping me to him.

I looked up to him, keeping dutifully to my task, and I saw that all of the tension had melted away from his face. His eyes were closed, and the smallest of smiles tugged gently at the corners of his lips. Another sound left him, but it was all pleasure, now.

He pulled my mouth away from his arousal, and he overtook it with another hot, wet kiss. His fingers worked greedily to strip me of all of my underclothing—unlacing and unbuttoning and discarding all along the way.

When we found ourselves on the bed, Reaver didn't hesitate to repay me for my efforts. He buried his face between my legs, coaxing a whimper-like moan. His eyes flickered up to me from his task, that trademark glint shining at me. My toes curled, and my hips thrust upward into his mouth as I unraveled beneath his skill.

I was still catching my breath when he pressed me down into the bed, covering me with his body. I slipped an arm around his neck, and I moved to capture his mouth. The closeness of him was soothing, and I needed more. He parted my thighs once more, and he caressed the length of my torso, pressing forward.

Our moans melted against each other in the quiet. I pulled from his mouth to catch my breath, but he wanted more. After allowing me a lungful of air, he took me even more desperately, his hips moving without their usual steadiness. He made love to me with a great rage and sadness I had never felt before.

When his back touched to the bed, and we lay in the afterglow, he closed his eyes, reaching his hand out for mine. He twined our fingers together, still wordless, but he brought my hand to his lips.

I turned onto my side, wrapping a leg around him, and a smile drifted softly across his lips.

"I love you," I told him.

He opened his eyes looking over to me. His smile was slightly ironic. He gave me a long, hard look, and he glanced away.

* * *

I entered the throne room to find that it was full to bursting. A rumor had been floating around about the nature of the day's gathering. I sat down on the throne, and Logan took his place to my left, and Reaver stood to my right. He seemed to be a little more like himself than he had before. He tapped his walking stick, almost impatiently, waiting for what was to come.

As Page was brought to me in court, the whole crowd gasped.

"Page," said Logan, reading the scroll that he had been provided. "You have been charged with treason, accessory to murder, and accessory to attempt murder. What say you?"

"Think about this, Lily," Page said. "You _aren't_ thinking."

"You weren't thinking," I said, standing from my seat, but I quickly pushed myself back down into the throne. She'd helped Nathaniel try to kill me. Because of her, a good man was dead. I pushed my anger down.

"Perhaps one might try to address one's monarch properly," Reaver chimed in, his voice smooth and the tiniest bit amused. "Considering one's position." He put a hand on my shoulder, as if to send a signal. When I glanced up to him, a smarmy smile had spread across his face.

"Look at you," Page said, shaking her head. "You're being manipulated. Reaver at your right hand, Logan on the left. This is ridiculous."

"This is my decision," I said, sitting up. "You made yours when you let loose a psychopath."

"You will regret this," Page said, her eyes narrowing to Reaver.

"Is that a threat?" Logan questioned, stepping closer to her. "You would dare threaten The Queen and her husband in open court?"

Everyone was whispering loudly, glancing around.

"Quiet!" I yelled.

Everyone obeyed.

"Page, the charges brought against you are more than sufficient to justify a death sentence," I told her. "But because I am merciful, I sentence you to exile."

Page's eyes widened, but she looked relieved.

"You will never set foot in Albion again. You will never be able to buy any of her lands, or contact any of her people," I continued. "If you ever return, your punishment _will_ be death."

I glanced between Page and Reaver, and Reaver's eyes were filled with satisfaction.

"Take her out of my sight," I said, deliberately looking away.

The guards arrived to drag her off.  
"Reaver will hurt you!" She yelled as she was pulled out of the door.

I closed my eyes, heaving a breath. My stomach was tense all over again.

Logan leaned over to ask quietly, "Do you feel well?"

"Not at all," I admitted softly.

"That is certainly understandable," Reaver pitched in.

Logan went through with dismissing court, and the people started to file out.

* * *

When I finally settled down in a chair with a glass of water, I felt better. I rubbed at my temples, and I exhaled loudly.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Reaver asked, taking a seat in the chair opposite me. "You look absolutely ragged...Radiant...but ragged."

I shook my head. "I'm fine. " I offered him a small smile. "It's just nerves."

"I have looked at my calendar, and I fear it is nearly _that _time of year," He said, scooting to the end of his seat and lighting himself a cigarette.

Raising an eyebrow, I sipped at my water.

Reaver took a long drag off of his cigarette, and he said, "Though, you may take comfort in the fact that while you are at home ill, I shall fare no better." He sighed. "I always despised traipsing through the terrible muck of Wraithmarsh."

"When will you be leaving?" I asked.

"I will be taking care of some last minute business beforehand," He explained. "So I must leave tomorrow, and I will not be back for a few days, perhaps a week."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, my eyes widening. I hadn't expected it to be so soon. I crossed my ankles and repositioned myself.

He stuck his bottom lip out a little, and he sighed. "The sooner I leave, love, the sooner I can return..." He smirked. "And if you're feeling better, I daresay I owe you a honeymoon. Somewhere secluded and quiet...where we can make it much _less_ quiet."

I smiled, and he stood to cross over to me, stubbing his cigarette in the ashtray on the way. He leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"I will miss you," He tacked on, kneeling down to get to eye-level with me. He traced my mouth with his thumb. "And that mouth." He moved in to emphasize his point with a kiss.

"Then go," I sighed, waving my hand. "And come back with a spring in your step. You've been so morose."

He laughed. "Morose? _Moi?"_

* * *

He sighed. He really didn't like having to go to Wraithmarsh himself, but this was one task he wanted to see through. He would be taking the bastard to The Shadow Court, and he would be rid of him, finally. He pointed to the carriage, indicating that his bags be loaded on.

"Your Grace," said his new attendant, he thought his name was Geoffrey. "The guards have said that they wish to accompany you."

"Not necessary," Reaver told him, waving his hand. This boy was truly annoying. He constantly fiddled with things. His hands, his clothing, his facial hair. He could only roll his eyes. It was times like this that he missed Barry Hatch, speech impediment and all. At least the man could make a proper drink.

"But, Your Grace..."

"Thank you, Joffrey...er...Geoffrey," He sighed. "See to it that the carriage is packed and ready for me within the next few minutes...with our extra passenger."

"Uh...yes," Geoffrey said, bowing gently.

Reaver turned, and he saw that Lilyana was now standing on the bottom steps. She looked beautiful, but weary and very sick. It bothered him that he would be leaving her this way, but she was in no condition to travel. He hurried over to her, taking her hands in his. "You should be in bed, dear one."

"I came to say goodbye," She said with a small shrug, offering her beautiful smile.

He drew her into his arms, and he held her for a moment. When she was near, it was like he was whole. She was the grounding force in his life, now, where it had once been sin and debauchery. His life had changed a lot in the past year, though it had gotten exponentially more complicated. He now had something to lose that was worth more to him than a thousand fortunes.

He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, but she turned away gently.

"I'm sorry, my love," She said meekly. "I am still so nauseous."

He pressed her against his chest once more. "Send for the doctor. Perhaps he will have a tonic of some sort."

She shook her head gently.

He took her by the chin, tilting it to see into those beautiful brown eyes of hers, trying to keep them in his mind. "Please, darling. See to it that you get well. I won't be doing much ravishing when I return if you're not better."

She smiled, and he savored that, too. "Yes, dear."

"Goodie," He said, kissing her forehead. He glanced backward, and he saw that the guards were escorting Nathaniel toward the carriage, and he saw Lilyana flinch and avert her eyes.

"Come, dear, let me take you back inside," Reaver told her, turning her around and guiding her back up the stairs.

She stopped him. "Just...go. Get him away from here." Her eyes were filled with tears.

He glanced over to see Nathaniel's furious blue eyes burning from across the courtyard.

"I...am ready for this to be over," She exhaled.

"Then give me a kiss, and I shall go," Reaver replied.

She leaned in, pressing her lips chastely against his. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as he'd hoped it would be, but it would suffice until he returned and he was well.

"I love you," She said, cupping his jaw with her delicate hand, and she smirked. "And you're not leaving until you say it."  
"I love you, Lilyana," He said, putting his hand over hers. "Always."

* * *

Nathaniel's eyes slashed across the carriage toward his father. His jaw was tight with silent rage.

"Now, what ever are you giving me _that _dreadful look for?" he asked.

"You know why."

"Because your mother made a business deal with me?"  
"You killed my adoptive mother, too," He seethed.

"Ah, yes," Reaver said, rubbing his chin. "She wasn't a very bright one. Nor was your mother, for that matter."

Nathaniel moved to jump across the carriage, but he stopped when Reaver's Dragonstomper touched his forehead. He sank back into his seat.

He replaced his pistol back in its holster. "I suppose I can see why you are upset, and years ago, I may have challenged you to do your worst...but now things are different."

"You couldn't possibly love anything more than you love yourself."

He reached into his coat, and he produced his flask. He took a small sip from it, and he chuckled softly. There was a time where that was true, but Lilyana had stirred something within him. Something he hadn't dared feel since Oakvale had been taken by the shadows. He couldn't let her go, not now.

"You're not even going to say anything to that?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because, boy, it would be redundant to argue about this," Reaver explained. "You'll tell me that I'm a terrible person, and I'll agree. After that, I suppose you'll tell me about your mother: how much you miss her, how she should have lived to take care of you. And I'll tell you that your mother had kept you a secret from me."

Nathaniel went pale.

"And then I'll remark on how eagerly she'd thrown herself down the pit to the Shadow Court," Reaver continued. "How eager she was to leave her whining, pathetic son."

Nathaniel's fists clenched in their bonds.

"Though, I believe what you really wanted me to say was that I'm sorry that I was never in your life, hmm?" He raised his eyebrows.

Nathaniel glanced away, his top lip twitching with anger.

"And this is where I say that I'm not," he laughed. "You'd be vile and pathetic, even if I'd had something to do with your upbringing. You see, you're more like me than either of us care to admit."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Oh?" He smirked deviouisly.

"The only reason I wanted to hurt her, was to hurt you."

"The only reason I killed Lady Raynesworth was to hurt you."

"She was innocent."

"Lilyana is innocent."

"She's turned a blind eye to your true character. She'd rather fulfill her lustful desires than see you for the threat you truly are."

"I'm hardly a threat to her," He laughed, rubbing his chin, remembering the feel of her fist against it, almost wistfully.

"Your children will be rulers of Albion," Nathaniel snorted, rolling his eyes.

"The only child that I have-that I know of, mind you-has turned out to be a failure in every possible way," Reaver continued. He put a cigarette between his lips, lighting it quickly. "You see, your original plan was very good. Something that I, myself, may have concocted many years ago, when I was still young and naïve, but you see there was a fatal flaw."  
Nathaniel raised a brow.

"You chose to oppose _me_."


	18. Beginnings

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm happy to see new reviews with every chapter! It really keeps me going! **

-Chapter Seventeen-

I watched as the carriage pulled away from the castle. I couldn't imagine what was being said, if anything. Though, part of me knew that Reaver wouldn't be able to resist some sort of conversation. I rubbed my throbbing temples, and I sighed. I turned back to move inside, and I found that Logan and Lady Angela had been waiting for me.

"I've scheduled for a doctor to come see you today," Logan informed me, his eyebrows knitting together. He looked genuinely worried. "You've been sick so much lately."

I sighed, and I simply nodded, a little too tired to worry about arguing with my brother.

Lady Angela smiled over to him, her eyes full of that look. She was smitten, and judging from the smile spreading across Logan's face, he was equally smitten. I couldn't help but smile a little at the exchange.

"Now," Angela said, unclasping her hands. "How would you like to get some fresh air with me? Or some tea?"

"Tea would be nice," I said with a nod. "Perhaps in the garden. It is a nice day."

"Yes," She agreed. "Very nice weather we are having. Perfect for travel."

I nodded softly, my mind drifting back to Reaver.

* * *

Lady Angela sipped delicately at her tea, and she smiled at me over her cup. As much as I had been hesitant to get to know her, she was a very pleasant person to be around. She had the perfect combination of wit and civility, and she also had a very good sense of humor.

"So," Angela said, setting her tea back down.

"So," I echoed, exhaling. "You seem to be getting on well with my brother."

She covered her mouth when he smiled. "Yes. Very much so."

"I am glad to see it," I told her. "Logan's needed a...er...steadying force in his life."

"I wouldn't go that far," She admitted. "I only hope..." She looked off for a moment. "I only hope that I could be more to him one day."

"My brother doesn't take these things lightly," I told her.

She just smirked. "Now, you and Reaver...how did that happen?"

I sighed. "It is a very long story."

"Oh?" She asked. "When I heard of your engagement, I felt as if it had been very sudden."  
"It was sudden, but..." I sighed, running my finger along the rim of my cup. "It's complicated."

"If I remember correctly, Reaver is complicated," She laughed, but she then cleared her throat.

"Yes," I agreed. "So...your relationship with him..."

"It was never anything serious," She said quickly. "I...I was young and foolish, and he was just so charming."

That sounded awfully familiar.

"But he was never serious about me," She said. "Nor was I serious about him."

"I'm not offended," I laughed. "You don't need to explain yourself. I was simply curious."

She laughed. "I actually expected this conversation a lot sooner, Your Majesty."

"Come," I said, shaking my head. "Call me Lilyana."

"Okay, Lilyana,"

"With any hope, you'll be my sister soon."

Her cheeks reddened at that prospect, but her smile was too large to hide. "Yes...hopefully."

"It is good to see my brother so happy," I said. "I haven't seen him this way...since before our father died. The crown weighed heavy on his head. I can understand." She grinned over to her. "You've made him very happy, Angela. I'm grateful."

"I'm happy, too," She told me, finishing the tea in her cup.

* * *

"You've been feeling very nauseous?" The doctor asked, raising his eyebrows to me.

I nodded. "Yes."

"And fatigued?" He tacked on.

Once again I nodded.

"When was your last cycle of menstruation?" He questioned, raising his eyes from his paper.

I paused. With everything that had been going on, I had lost track of the weeks. I was long overdue. "Ah...I don't recall."

"Can you lay back? I must perform an exam," He said.

Everything blurred as I lay back. I had rather hoped to avoid an examination like this. I'd never been very good with awkward medical things. Though, this was needed. It was wholly possible that I hadn't been sick from the stress. Reaver and I had been rather careless with our birth control practices since Aurora. I closed my eyes, exhaling softly as the doctor went through with the examination. My heart pounded, and my nerves were now rattled. I wrung my hands nervously together, ready for this to be over.

After he finished his initial examination, he looked up to me, motioning for me to sit up.

"Well, Your Majesty," the doctor said with a smile. "I suppose I should congratulate you."

My thudding heart came to a stop, and I glanced away.

"You're shocked now, I understand," He said. "But give it a few minutes, Your Majesty. This is a wonderful thing."

When the doctor left the room, I was still in a daze. The news was something I should have expected. It was only logical that when one fails to use protection... I sighed, rubbing my head. The greater part of me was nervous, but there was a tiny sliver of happiness, wedging itself in my heart, spreading. I swept my hand across my flat stomach. The doctor had said that I wasn't any more than a couple of months along, so I had a long road ahead of me.

I dressed myself slowly, my eyes glancing down to my stomach every so often. I heard a knock at the door.

"Lily?" asked Logan's voice. "May we come in?"

"Yes," I replied.

Logan and Angela entered the room. Logan's face was grave, and he observed me carefully.

"What is it?" He asked, his eyebrows raising and his mouth tightening. "You look shocked. What is the matter? Is it serious?" His voice wavered nervously.

A small smile merely drifted across my mouth, and I laughed a little.

"Oh my..." Angela said, her voice knowing. She came to me, and she took my hands. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"What?" Logan asked, still obviously clueless. "What's going on?"

I looked up to him, still smiling, and the realization hit his face. He looked very shocked, indeed.

"Reaver's?" He asked.

Angela smacked his shoulder quickly. "Who else, you git?"

Logan blushed. "I'm sorry...I just."

"Holding onto false hope that I'm not carrying the spawn of Reaver?" I asked, laughing a little.

"Perhaps," He said, but a smile cracked his face. He came in to wrap his arm around me. "Though, if you are happy, I am happy, Lily."

I felt the tears building in my eyes, and I nodded. "I am happy."

Angela's grin was from ear to ear. "Now, that's what we like to hear!"

I sighed, wiping my face and drawing away from Logan.

"When are you going to tell Reaver?" Angela wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.

That was when I realized that everything was not as simple as it had seemed just moments before. I sighed, shrugging lightly. "When he comes home, I suppose."

"You should just drop hints," Angela chuckled. "Make him squirm."

"Perhaps," I said with a nod. I doubted Reaver would find much humor in that. I wondered if he would find any humor in the situation at all. We had spoken about children, but only how to avoid them. We never discussed having them. Then again, he had to realize that I needed to produce an heir for the throne.

"Well," Angela said. "Now that we know that you aren't sick, I was thinking that perhaps you may want to travel back to Brightwall with me. I'd invited Logan, but I would adore having you there, as well."  
I glanced at her, and I smiled. With Reaver out of the palace, my days were sure to be pretty boring. I nodded. "I loved Brightwall when I lived there."

"I remember you," Angela chuckled. "Playing your lute and making pies..."

I covered my face. "My lute-playing was truly terrible, wasn't it?"

"Not at all! I thought it was lovely, and your voice was very nice as well," She replied.

I rolled my eyes a little. "Hardly. Half of the time, I felt as if people were paying me to stop and go back to making pies."

* * *

Fortunately, I was in need of a small vacation. As we rode toward Brightwall, I stared out of the window. Summer was starting to take over Spring, and Albion was thriving. The flowers were bloom, and animals scampered about.

I glanced over toward Angela and Logan on the other side of the carriage. They were glancing and smiling and doing all of the things that lovers can't help but do when they're around each other, trying to restrain themselves. I could only grin.

My nausea wasn't too bad, and the fresh air definitely helped. I leaned back into my seat, and I exhaled slowly, trying to shake the little bit away.

"Feeling alright?" Angela questioned. "We are nearly there. I daresay I could use a quick rest before dinner, I'm sure you're exhausted."

"Yes," I said with a smile. "I wouldn't mind a nice little rest. Though, I can't say that I'll want much to eat."

"You must eat!" Angela exlaimed, her eyebrows flying up and her mouth turned up into a smile. "What kind of hostess would I be if I let my pregnant Queen starve! I can imagine the things they'd say 'Did you know that Lady Angela Snow let Queen Lilyana starve to death at her home!'"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I will try to eat something."

* * *

Logan pulled me aside after dinner, a smile on his face, and it looked almost indestructible.

"What?" I asked, giggling a little. "You look like you're going to explode from joy."

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," He whispered. "Tonight."

His smile was infectious, and I found my cheeks nearly sore from the intensity of it. "Then why are you talking to me right now?"

"Because...I..." He sighed. "Do you like her?"

"Yes," I told him. "Of course."

"I don't want to marry a woman that you dislike," He said. "Some of us are considerate of our sibling's feelings." He gave me a small dirty look, but his smile returned. "And I didn't want to steal away any attention you may get from...your condition."

"Well, no one knows but you and Angela," I said. "When I announce it, I daresay your proposal will be a little out-shined."

He smirked.

"Well, go," I said, pointing. "Propose, drink, be happy."

He gave me a hug, and he hurried off.

I walked to the bedroom that had been made up for me, and I closed the door, ready for some rest. I put my hand gently on my unsettled stomach, and I smiled. At least the nausea was all for something. I allowed myself to be excited, now. Surely, Reaver would be happy. He'd insisted on marrying me, even if it meant monogamy.

Nathaniel briefly crossed my mind. If Luna had told Reaver that she carried his baby...what would he have done? I almost didn't want to think about it. That Reaver seemed like a different person than my husband. He wasn't cruel to me. He showed me what he never showed anyone. He opened himself to me.

I climbed into the bed, letting my whole body loosen. I was surprised by how much relief seeing the doctor brought. I was still terribly nauseous and sore and fatigued, but my mind was a little more at ease. I closed my eyes, silently thanking Kent once more for his sacrifice. He'd not only saved one life, but two. Turning on my side, I thought of Reaver once more. It had barely been a full day, and I missed him terribly already. I always drifted off easier in his arms, but I supposed I would have to make due for just a few more days. He'd return soon, having dealt with Nathaniel, and made his annual tribute.

That thought alone made my stomach tense once more. I wasn't totally at peace with what he did, but he'd told me that when the day came that he stopped making tribute, he would die. The selfish part of me wasn't at peace with that fact.

I put a hand over my stomach. There wasn't even a bump yet, but I knew the child was there, growing. I had made this child, and I would raise it. I couldn't wait to start the rest of my life, and that brought an odd comfort and serenity to me. I closed my eyes, and I drifted off to sleep, a thrill of excitement in my heart.


	19. Epilogue

-Epilogue-

"Where are we going?" Nathaniel asked, looking over to Reaver. "Why haven't you just killed me and gotten it over with?"

"Because I need something from you, first, my boy," Reaver replied, his eyes menacing as the carriage came to a halt. He climbed out, and he pulled Nathaniel, by the shackles, after him.

"Where are we?" Nathaniel questioned, leaning against the side of the carriage for support.

"You know that I take a little trip to Wraithmarsh each year," Reaver said. "You've done your research."

Nathaniel's blue eyes darted around the area, and he tugged backward on his shackles, unable to truly support himself. "Please...you don't have to do this..."

"Oh, but I do," Reaver continued. "You've proven that, if left to your own devices, you'll only strike out against me again and again."

"I'm sorry...I just.."

Reaver grasped him by his shackles and pulled him away from the support of the carriage.

"NO!"

Reaver just dragged him along by the shackles toward the entrance to The Shadow Court. They walked in mostly silence, save for Nathaniel's panicked screams. Reaver simply ignored him, turning down the twisting tunnels. His eyes were filled with a fierce determination.

"PLEASE!" shouted Nathaniel, tears streaming down his face. "I'M SORRY!" He wriggled and kicked his bound legs, trying with every ounce of energy he had to break free.

"Be quiet, you murderous little whelp!" He snapped, stopping to drop Nathaniel's arms. He turned to send a boot squarely into his ribs, thoroughly cracking them. He snatched Nathaniel back up, this time by his hair. He continued down the tunnel.

Now he was sobbing openly. "Please...I'm so sorry. Please spare me..."

"Stop your sniveling," Reaver sneered. "It's so very disappointing to see how one's children can turn out if not kept with a steady hand."

"Please...please have mercy," Nathaniel begged.

"There will be no mercy today, boy."

They entered a larger chamber in the darkness, and the torches placed along the walls sprang to life with flame. The Shadow Court's seats were empty, as the time had not yet come.

Reaver knelt before Nathaniel, gripping his chin and pulling his face close. "Do you know why I've brought you here?"

Nathaniel's crystal eyes turned around the chamber, and he squeezed them shut, nodding silently. His whole body convulsed with the force of his weeping.

"And do you now understand that you made a sizable mistake in opposing me?" His tone was vicious. "In opposing the things that I love?"

"You are incapable of love," Nathaniel cried, spitting in Reaver's face.

Reaver dropped him, the boy's face colliding with the cold stone of the ground. He reached into his vest, and he retrieved The Dark Seal. He ran a finger over the markings, and he tossed it in the air, catching it swiftly.

"Give me another chance," he begged. "I promise. I won't hurt anyone. I'll disappear."

"Reaver?" asked a voice from afar.

Suddenly, the seats across the chamber were filled. The Shadow Court had arrived.

"Ah, Reaver," said the figure in the middle, rising. "It has been so long since you've come in person to pay tribute."

"Yes, well," Reaver replied. "This is a special occasion. I deemed it necessary that I be here."

"Am I correct in saying that you have...brought us your own flesh and blood?" asked the central judge, its tone intrigued.

Reaver snorted. "I wouldn't claim him if I had a choice."

"Well, regardless," The Judge said. "Is this your-"  
"Reaver?" asked a young girl, no more than twenty. She had large brown eyes and honey-colored hair. "There you are."

"What is this?" asked the judge off to the left.

"Another tribute," Reaver said, flipping the seal once more.

"You cannot bring two," retorted the central judge.

"You cannot simply give us your tributes in advance," said another. "It does not work that way."

"No," Reaver said. "I am well aware of the parameters of our bargain."

"Then what is the meaning of this?"

"I've come to strike a new bargain..."

**A/N: Please review! I love what you have to say. The next installment is called 'Resistance' and you can find it on my page! :D**


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